The problem with the advent of all of the electronic social media (like facebook, texting, blogs, and twitter) is that you lose the all the benefits of good old fashioned rejection. There is nothing that builds character like having a person shun you in person.
Making new friends sucks ass. People who have not had to do it for a while tend to forget how painful it can be. The roaming groups of seemingly well adjusted clusters of people who look like they have formed life long bonds can make a normal person feel like the frigging elephant man.
The simple answer is just to embrace rejection. Shoot for a couple of rejections a day. Strike up a conversation when you are in one of those endless lines, ask to sit at a table when you are eating, ask for directions/help or about a part of the the university process that you are having trouble with. Go with the group of people you know or barely know when they ask you to do something that does not involve some stupidity (that is a list that is longer than drugs and alcohol).. As much as it sucks, making friends is like everything else, you have to practice. Watch YES MAN on Netflix. And join a three or four university clubs.
And those well adjusted clusters of people? Well a large portion of them are shallow ass clowns that will be part of a group at damn near any cost. For some people being alone is unbearable. For the rest of us who are looking for something more substantial and not as willing to compromise..well it just takes a little longer.
Practice...Practice...Practice..
Love Dad
