Hey, I just wanted to say, I definitely felt something similar back in my first year of university/college. I’m now in my last year and graduating soon. At the time I just sucked it up and kept going anyway, mostly because I didn’t have much of a choice (for many different reasons). It does get better though — it takes time to settle into places, get to know people, make friends, etc. Being shy doesn’t help all that much, of course, since it usually means that we shy people take a longer time to get to know people and it also takes other people longer to get to know us and how awesome we are I guess if I had one piece of advice to give, it would be to just relax and be yourself in social situations. I remember feeling nervous in social situations because I felt pressured to say something all the time even though I’m usually not much of a talker in group situations. Now if I have nothing to say or if I don’t want to say anything, my mouth stays shut, and I just listen and add something if I want. I also spend a lot of one-on-one time with friends – that’s how I like to spend time with people and feel most at ease. Social situations become much less nerve-wracking when you just are who you are – if some people don’t like it, they’re the ones missing out. But I guarantee that some people will
Anyway, just my two cents. I’d be happy to talk about it further if you like!

Not to detract from the seriousness of either of our posts, but damn, those emoticons look ridiculous.

I just graduated from college a couple of months ago and felt similar to you during my first year. I started off with a roommate but by the second semester I’d moved into a single dorm and further isolated myself.
During my second year I decided to do something different. I got another roommate – who turned out much better than the first, got an on-campus job – which forced me to engage in less stressful interactions, and joined a few campus orgs. All three of these things helped me meet new people.
My advice: stay busy and try to do things you truly enjoy. If you join a campus group that focuses on certain things (ie: Politics, LGBT issues, etc), then you have an easy topic of conversation to begin with and are surrounded by people who share that common interest.
Many campuses have a counseling department – individual and group – where students can talk about their feelings and the stresses of college life and being away from home.
Join study groups. Especially in undergrad classes, it’s common for people not to know each other and attempt to establish a group before the first big test. This is beneficial because in your major, you could see the same people in several of your classes.
Stay positive. There are many socially anxious college students hanging around campus. Oftentimes we don’t know about the other because we’re both too shy to approach the other person…

God yes, this sounds like my first year of college to a T! I was really alone. It sucked, but I have great news- I know what to do. You just have to make yourself sign up for volunteer and group activities. Specifically, I’d say join your university’s feminist and/or LGBT groups, and get involved. You’ll make friends, be happier, and feel like you’re really helping out the cause. Good luck!