Joining an Atheist Club in College?

[Godless]

So I'm about to head off to Virginia Tech in three weeks and I'm looking to join some clubs and maybe a fraternity. I've been thinking about joining an atheist club, but the only one that I could find only has ten members which is called "Freethinkers at Virginia Tech." However, there are hundreds of religious groups. Should I even bother joining this small club?

[curiosityandthecat]

I'd wait a little while before joining anything like that. You may find that the intellectual atmosphere is such that you don't feel the weight of being a minority as much as you'd think. I never felt the need to join a freethinker/atheist/skeptic club because (and maybe this is just OU) religious nutjobs or fundies or even those who publicize their religion were few and far between. Plus, you're so busy trying to get with the girls and go party that you barely notice anything else.  

So, if after the first few weeks you're still feeling like you need a social outlet (or you just really want to join a club for one reason or another), go for it. Stay away from frats, though. Pointless, unless you're getting an MBA or in sports medicine and need to make contacts.

[Whitney]

Stay away from frats, though. Pointless, unless you're getting an MBA or in sports medicine and need to make contacts.

I agree.  Plus, some of them do shun those who don't believe in a God....so if you do join a frat, do a lot of research first.  It would suck to go through the embarrassing initiations just to get kicked out later for not talking to the sky.

As for the freethought group on campus...while you probably don't need that kind of support on a college campus for the same reason Curio stated, they have low numbers because people don't see the point in it.  So, unless you could potentially face persecution issues that would get in the way of your schooling, I think you should check them out even if you don't become heavily involved with the group.

[JillSwift]

"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." --Groucho Marx

Lots of good advice in this thread, yep! Yet despite that I feel compelled to add my two cents:

Sometimes such clubs exist not to support one another in a suppressive/oppressive atmosphere, but because they're a bunch of science/skepticism geeks who just love to pick over the latest bit of science news, or mock "alternative medicine", or the like. Have a lookie first, and if they are that and you like that, well, there's a reason to join.

[Godless]

Here's a funny experience at my orientation... We played a "game" where the orientation leader tried to see our views and opinions. If people believed in one thing, they stood on one side. If they believed in the other thing, they stood on the other side. One of the questions was "Do you believe in a higher power?" More than half of my orientation group stood on the side of no higher power. Maybe there are a lot more atheists/agnostics than I thought at my college.