One of the problems I run in to quite often is that conservatives tend to be passionate, but less able to express themselves in an effective way because many of them don't have a lot of formal education. Many are still conservative partly because they did not pass through the left wing brainwashing institution of higher learning.
Liberals, while they are often complete idiots and not more innately intelligent at all, have learned to articulate their ideas in a more effective way and often have higher levels of education. This puts them in a position where they look down their noses at conservatives and call them "ignorant".
Passionate conservatives with little education end up making glaring errors like this:
http://www.11points.com/news-politics/11_gorgeously_ironic_misspellings_in_protest_signsIf you do go through college, you have to learn how to guard yourself from the brainwashing. I used to see it as "I'm learning how an 'educated' person is supposed to see these issues, but I don't have to have the same opinion as they do". If you understand the left wing arguments in and out then you're more effective at fighting them, but be warned that if you have Biblical values or if you have conservative values, that these will often automatically be treated as if they are "uneducated" and "ignorant" beliefs in a higher educational environment.
People don't like to feel stupid, and college professors/instructors will do everything within their power to try to make you feel stupid for having traditional beliefs. This is one reason why liberal students get reinforced in their beliefs, and conservative students often become liberals in college.
I think it's important to get the higher education but to also be strong and retain your values.