I'm like one of those people who are fairly quiet and laid back, but don't have trouble meeting people or making acquaintances. My problem is I tend to fall in a rut, I mostly hang out with the same people I have known since middle school, I have a few friends at work but they all live in Nassau, and when they ask me to hang out, it sometimes gets where I get lazy and would just rather hang out with my friends who live right down the road. Another problem I have is I'm pretty tolerant of nerds/social outcasts/etc. so I tend to get weirdos hanging on my back.
Easiest thing to do is relax and stop caring what others think about you. Ask people about their day, and let them dictate a conversation. The best way to get out of it is to attempt small talk with whoever you can, whether it be the cashier at Best Buy when you're going to buy your video games, to the waitress at the restaurant, to people at the bar. You could always join a club which has your interests in mind, but I wouldn't recommend anime club. I went to a few UB Anime meetings and not only was it a sausage fest (unless you were into obese black women) but most of the people were a bit too weird even for me. If I could go back I'd join the Polish Student Union. If there was one thing I miss about Buffalo, aside from the wings, it was the Polish chicks.
I usually choke when cold-approaching a girl, though, and run out of things to say, though making eye contact and approaching, saying "Hi what's going on" is no big deal, esp. if she's giving me glances.
And while we're on the subject of girls... if you show that you're a guy who attracts women, you will suddenly be swamped with guy friends. Every guy wants to hang out with someone that knows cute girls. Although, if you are going to a bar and talking up girls, it will be a bit harder if you are by yourself, that kinda shit sometimes creeps girls out.