I went through what you're going through twice, and it's not easy, but you'll be okay. Mine were when I changed high school at the start of my junior year and then again when I moved to Arizona for college.... In high school when I moved, I ate lunch alone for 3 months before I had the courage to talk to someone in one of my classes. Turned out it was his last day in that class when I finally talked to him. He invited me to lunch with his friends. If I had waited another day, I probably wouldn't have become friends with him. He introduced me to 5 other people that became my close group of friends the rest of high school, and I'm still close with all of them still.

Now I'm not saying you'll be lucky enough to find great friends on your first try -- I think being somewhere new and not having the consistent faces you see every day really is a lot to adjust to. But I think this is a dramatic change from what we've come to expect. College is more like real life than high school in that way. You really have to find a group that you want to hang out with, and they may or may not be people in your classes. I've had better luck with finding groups of friends through social activities, like tailgating football games, clubs, parties, or just working part-time jobs.

Even if you feel lonely at first, stick with it. Maybe the group of people you hang out with won't be the ones that stick, but they'll help you get out socially and maybe meet people that you have more in common with. Most people are friendly once you're actually a participant in the same social activity, but it's just human nature to respond negatively if you are out with a group and don't have much familiarity with anyone. Don't be afraid to talk to strangers at parties or group events, but know that the best chance is going to be events you can attend regularly. It's hard to approach strangers, but being casually acquainted will help you break the ice, so find some things that you can attend consistently and casually chatting with the same people will at least open the door for more.

If you're interested in sports, the men's basketball games would be a great place to start. Sitting in the student section is a fun experience and if you get there early you can talk to the people in a more reasonable setting. Stepping out of your comfort zone and talking to people sucks honestly, but you have to give yourself the chance to get more comfortable talking to people that seem standoffish at first. And you can always join an organization like undergraduate student government (they do a lot of the athletics promotions, promotional/social events, etc.) or something similar that's a bit more involved. USG and other clubs like it are almost work-like, so you get a chance to see the same people on a more consistent basis.