Struggling to make friends at Uni

I've spent almost a whole year at university alone. I try to engage in conversations with other students and make friends, but it doesn't work for me. It seems that after a few questions regarding the course work or the person them self, the conversation quickly ends. I don't know how to keep the conversation going without seeming desperate for attention. I've tried opening up to people and seeming approachable, but nothing works. I'm just invisible to everyone.

I thought my appearance was the main issue so I got a haircut and started shaving every few days as well as exercising at the gym for the last few months and lost around 12lbs. I've got another 6 or 7lbs to lose, but I guess this hasn't helped either.

To be honest, the last time I spent time with a friend was probably in 2010. I've been wasting my life in my room since then and therefore lack adequate social skills.

Any advice?

There will be a lot of students feeling like you, the difficulty is finding them. Are there any societies for various hobbies and interests you could join at the university so that you would meet people that way? Or maybe the university counselling service could suggest something. I hope that you make some friends in the upcoming academic year.

I always laugh when I read "university counselling service". Not your fault, really, it's just there's none here.

I have issues like you have, H-1000, only kinda worse, as I've spent bachelor and master's alone. As such I don't really have any advice to give.. so sorry.

So, in the US, most of our colleges have clubs, several relating to our major. Do you have those? I would try joining some that either pertain to your major or something you enjoy. Then at least you have something to talk about to those people. Then you might be able to build relationships from there.

It seems like you just need an opportunity to meet people.

I'll echo what Nicole says and suggest that you look for a structured venue where you're likely to meet people with some common interests....like a club, maybe. Or someplace not as structured but still where you're likely to encounter people with mutual interests....does your major of study have a departmental lounge/study area or just a comfortable waiting room where students hang out? What about an off campus location where the students and faculty go for coffee or lunch? And where you work out too?

Actually. the willingness to meet and take the risks of coming out of oneself and engage in a dialog with someone else who's also willing to do the same, is the main thing in my opinion.

Just because you've wasted your life in a room with your computer doesn't mean you can't learn social skills.

But hey, I like to think I'm pretty sexy when it comes to conversation skills. I mean that in how well I am in it, not actual sexiness.

Do you never make constructed conversations online? Work out your own speech pattern. Then you can find a way to smoothly fit in questions. Okay so that's actually way too analytical, don't do that or you may turn out to be a paranoid psychopath. Not that I am one.

But seriously, just start making well thought out conversations with people online, like us for example. Then try and carry that over to speaking in person. Remember the way you speak, obviously you don't need to be as super formal and posh as that may be what you do online, but carry over subjects like what they like to do in their spare time. How confident are they in this class? Do they enjoy it? Introduce yourself, say what you really like to do in your spare time.

How about looking at this channel? I can't recommend it enough on this site. That being said this is the only time I've brought him up
https://www.youtube.com/user/AlphaMconsulting/videos