I was in the "alternative" group of people, so being a JW was a non issue, it was just a quirk that i had. We were all into the same sort of music, and the arts etc so we used to hang out together and chat through lunches and free periods. I never really hung out with them outside of school. Some of us were pretty good at school, 4 of us got the highest marks in our Leaving Certificate (Irish examination at 18 that you need to get pretty much any job)
Undergrad at university was just an extension really of highschool. 2 of my good friends from school were at the same university on pretty much the same programme. We always hung out together. Now i am in the midst of a PHD and have little or no time for my bf, farless a group of friends.
All of this was done while a JW (still am "active"). I always insisted on education, and my parents realised that if they protested, it was going to be a loosing battle, they would either have an educated daughter that spoke to them, or one that didn't. They chose the former-they never put up a fight, though i paid my way all the way though (fortunatly undergrad is only €800 a year in Ireland). My mum left school with her high school diploma (she is american and pioneered from the next september until she had us) and is going to university full time next september for a BA, perhaps i encouraged her the right ways :-)
