Novice investor in college town

Hello All, 

I am a current teacher with a lifelong interest in real estate. I am interested in starting my real estate journey with a local purchase. I currently live in central PA with Penn State University in my backyard, so any advice for investing with a major college campus in the area would be a huge help. I am mainly interested in single family with long term rental potential for visiting professors or other university employees. But a student rental might be a better choice. If you have experience with these I would appreciate any insight. Thanks!