first year uni help

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Im starting school soon (university) and Im really excited to learn new things, but Im really socially nervous. I don't know what to do there.
All my life I've had troubles speaking and making friends... In high school at first I tried to be normal, but then my lacking social skills came back to bite me, and after that first year of high school things went very down hill for me and I could not make any more friends there. Eventually I had to go to a different, less crowded school and completed my diploma there.
So anyway im very nervous, I feel I won't fit in. I've never really fit in anywhere, I always feel left out, somehow though ive sort of accepted that that is how I am...
I have to go to orientation day, and on the university site it shows many pictures of people having fun and being outgoing, I feel like I can never act like that with others. I feel very reserved and Im naturally quiet and don't talk a lot. I mean, I can greet people in the same class, but only if they talk to me first. And then I have the problem where I can't relate to them further than school topics, if they talk of events they went to or anything else like music or friends, I can't relate at all. So mostly I will just pretend to understand and usually the convo ends there because of my silence.
I always become invisible in school, im sort of weird, but I think I can dress at least nicely but I just have an appearance of strangeness, I can't explain it well, I guess its in the way I walk and how I look around at everything or maybe in the way I look. I notice people usually turn heads when I walk by, but its not prettiness its just there's something weird and I give off this 'alone' feeling. I don't want to be like that though, I just at least want to make one friend that's all its not much but I would be very happy with just one who understands me. So what should I do to improve myself, how can I be better at conversations not involving school? Will this year be hard for me, how can I fit in?

First thing to understand is you won't be alone. Let your nervousness be your guide so to speak. I mean, speak your mind, I'm nervous, say it to someone that is standing right next to you. Bet they are too. What an ice breaker. You just shouldn't use it 4 years later , although I'll bet you'll be just as nervous on graduation day, so it still works.

Most people at uni that you'll see will be freshers as well (except for losers like me going back to halls of residence for final year ), so don't worry too much, you won't be the only one in that situation. There's also a lot of people at most unis, so you're almost guaranteed to find a few friends if you look. Takes two to tango, as they say, though; my best advice to you is to try to be open to conversation - and as you probably know by now, NTs are very bent on body language to guess who's worth talking to. Basic things like "don't keep your arms crossed" and "look at them but don't glare at them" helped me wonders, personally.

Also, bear in mind - there's a lot of people, but the first few days are when a lot of friendships are built. If you want a bit of personal experience, the person I was sat next to in the hall's "introductory meeting" ended up being one of my best friends throughout the years of uni. And through him, I got to meet a lot of people - shame it ended badly due to one person, though, but that's life.

Are you going to uni in the UK or the US? If it's in the UK, bear in mind - people in the UK, especially students, go to pubs to socialize. It's worth going to, rather than being left out due to being tagged a "loner" by a few.

We're in similar situations Misgen. I starting university this September and I'm socially nervous as well. From most of the people I've spoken to though it seems to be that way for most people. I don't know if you're staying in halls or not but if you are that might be an easier way to integrate socially. (That's what I'm hoping for myself)
If you want to find like minded people then checking out the societies and clubs that you're interested in at your university would probably be a good idea.
As Anamnesis said and as I've been told body language is important. Try to make yourself seem approachable. Oh and if you are staying in halls with other students then keep your door open when you move in. I've been practising my own social skills in preparation for uni by doing simple things like asking for things and saying please and thanks in shops, saying hello to people I don't know all that well (which I can never be bothered with usually ).

Another thing though, I don't know if you're going to a UK or US university but if it is a UK one then the social networking sites (e.g. facebook) usually have pages where people who are on the same course or halls or uni chat or whatever. Students set up their own pages. You might be able to connect to other future students in advance this way.

GL!