Meeting together to study for tests or help each other with writing papers, etc. is a good way. If you get a study group together of 3-4 people you can then maybe move it to a meal out and get to know a couple of the people well enough that it turns into a friendship.

I had a really good experience meeting people at "Friends of the Library" events, helping with booksales, etc. I don't know what your interests are? Find an organization to help that centers around your interests. It's both harder and easier for me going to group events; one can get use to being around people and "practice" starting conversations but it's also easy for me to wimp out and leave, not having met anyone.

Volunteering or hanging around some places (for me, the library :-) I got to meet workers and became "friends" with some of them and then hung around with them and volunteered/worked with them (backwards -- I hung around and got to know them then hung around some more volunteering for real but the whole thing was set up by me and them rather than a volunteer "agency").

One good thing about political parties, fayerody, I worked/volunteered as a county election judge. It's a twice a year thing every couple years, $100 a day!! (I use to take the day off work and thus get paid for my vacation day from my job and also from the County for being the election judge) but if you get a polling place near home, you meet your neighbors coming in and work with 7-9 other people like yourself all day so get to know them. That was very helpful for me as I got to know the people in my community better so when I saw them I could wave or stop and say "Hello," or at least identify them on the street, etc.