Shyness

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I just started uni and I'm having trouble making friends. Every day I tell myself I'll talk to people and introduce myself to people today but then I get scared and think not today. I go home, study, surf the net and watch TV. I've been here two weeks now and I've hardly spoken to anyone. And it's frustrating coz I thought I'd gotten past this whole painfully-shy thing, back home I'd taught myself social skills and I made lots of friends, I was shy at first but I warmed up to people. But now in a whole new situation, I got overwhelmed and it's like the longer I go without putting myself out there, the more comfortable I get with being on my own.
How do you guys deal with shyness? How bad does it affect you?

I don't have issues with shyness so much anymore, it's finding people with similar interests and beliefs that's difficult.

I had the same experience when I first started college. Everyone I knew at home I had known since early childhood or junior high so I was inexperienced in starting new associations. I would suggest looking directly at people you see every day in your class and saying Hi. Just a quick acknowledgment, don't make it too intense. This will send the signal that you are open for conversation. One thing that had to be pointed out to me was that NT's read the quietness and reservedness as a signal that you want to be left alone.

This is something to this day that I haven't been able to overcome. I'm the same way, I procrastinate to try to make friends but I never actually do it. I get too anxious and uncomfortable of the unknown.

I find groups of people with similar interests to myself.

Around people I have known for a long time or people who are autistic I am not shy.
Around other people I am also not shy, I cannot handle it, it is too much.