I previously went to a private school, but now I go to a public one. Currently, I don't have classes with past classmates, but I do have a person or two in several of my classes that will talk to me. I'm introverted and independent, but don't avoid socializing– I'm confident speaking with others.
My problem is I don't know how to make genuine connections. I found out someone liked a show similar to my taste. Since people love talking about themselves, I made conversation with them by asking about it, but they didn't ask in turn, and explained only their opinions. At lunch, I'm currently sitting with a group of 5 other freshmen, and stay silent the entire time since 1. only one girl speaks to me: the girl who invited me to the table, and 2. I haven't found a relatable/similar topic that I can just listen in on and comment.
Right now, the main people who talk to me are a handful of students from my golf team, but I don't have classes with them, nor do they solely speak to me during practices (for obvious reasons). I'm in a gray area with a few people in most of my classes. I don't know if I should continue pursuing the friendships I'm going for. Seating charts aren't helping my "friendship making."
I know that once other clubs/activities start going, I'll have much better luck, but are there temporary things I can do to make progress presently? How can I get people to be more open to engage with me? I'm not looking for an instant fix– just something to help me establish genuine connections while the school year just started.