I was in mostly the same situation now almost 30 years ago, except I was not disfellowshipped and had not done anything that would warrant that.
However it was extremely unusual for anyone in our congregation to go to college and I was actually pursuing a BA. Even though I was raised JW by my mom, my dad was not JW. My mom had graduated from college prior to converting.
So she really understood the importance of an education. But alas, I didn't make it through my first year of college before I realized I needed out of the religion, for at least a dozen reasons. But I lived at home with my mom and dad and couldn't not participate in the religion without taking a stand.
If could have done anything differently, I would have stuck it out as a pretender until I had graduated, was self-supporting, and I could have moved away and faded. But I couldn't live that lie for longer than a few months.
Life probably would have been a little easier for me if I had been able to wait and fade, but "those people" were really horrid to me solely because I was going to the university.
If I had faded rather than DA, I think I would still have my mom in my life. But now that my dad has passed away, she doesn't have to have anything to do with me or her grandchildren. I don't think the kids are missing out on much, but it is one factor I hadn't considered at all when I was 19 and publicly walked away. I miss the emotional intimacy that was once shared between a mother and daughter, and there is nothing that can replace that. But knowing it was all conditional in the first place, softens the blow. Now I just focus on providing that for my own children, knowing it is really and truly unconditional.
As far as advice-it's not too complicated: Just sock away as much money as you can, don't waste it on eating out, Starbucks, or vacations; and try to pay as you go for college rather than taking loans. You'll be happier later on not being in debt and hopefully not needing to live month to month. It won't be long before you are living the life you want and in the blink of an eye, you'll be a but a few years from the retirement they told you you'd never see in "this system."
I choose not to dwell too much on whether the corporation is corrupt, greedy, negligent, or evil. I'm not sure it accomplishes a thing. However, all I have come to know about its workings over the last 30 years has only given me the peace of mind that if God does exist in their definition of God, that God would have shut down that racket 100 years ago.
Here's to your comfortable retirement in 30 years' timeš¾.
