If you haven't learned to speak up for yourself and beliefs and ask questions by the time you are 18 you are likely not going to amount to anything unless you are an extremely late bloomer.
Hell, I took feminist philosophy one semester with a professor who was very much into feminism, and other causes like being a vegitarian, and the class started out with 12 guys and by the time it was done me and my best friend were the only two guys left in the class.
There wasn't a class that went by where we didn't challenege the professor and other students in some way. Had her for a number of different phlosophy courses and ALWAYS challeneged and questioned her. She often times would use me or my friend to get debates going in class becaue whether it was feiminism, drugs, vegtraiianism, or whatever she could always count on us to take a stand or play devil's advocate for a position we didn't believe in but nobody else would want to defend. Drives me nuts when I haear about how students are "afraid" to speak up in class. Grow a set and get your money's worth and challenege and question your professors. It's what they get paid for.