>>24
Well, I don't want to discourage anyone, but this isn't entirely true. I went to a college of 30,000 people, hoping that as long as I was nice when I interacted with people, I'd have nothing to worry about. I assumed people in college had better shit to do than make up stuff about others, but that's not entirely true. I tried the first one and a half semesters, got great grades the first and made it to a couple enjoyable parties, made a small set of friends I wasn't super-close, but very comfortable with. And then I started hearing the same whispers and giggles I had in middle in high school. I assumed I was paranoid, but eventually found out people were putting the same (untrue) shit on me they had before.

But, the key here is not to relapse. Just realise, everyone gets stuff made up about them at some time. You have to teach yourself (through a help group or meditiation) that it's the people you can trust that matter - it's them you'll be spending the most time with anyway. I stopped hanging out with people (I was actually not a shut-in until Sophomore year, I was paranoid but had friends in high school) and it only made things worse. It just gave people more of a chance to make up whatever they wanted, since others in the dorm didn't have any real me to compare it to.

You may want to pay for a small apartment. When you consider the mandatory meal plan with some colleges, it may be cheaper. I think my problem was an agriculture major and living in dorms, which group you with relatively small populations. You can do it, though. I've seen people more awkward than I be successful, you just have to ACT confident and not give up. Anyone can do it.