A big thing I've seen around reddit subs in regards to self improvement and dating subs is that having a social circle helps. And in theory I could see it helping but how does one actually create one from scratch?

My hobbies are the basic anime/manga, watching tv/movies, coding, and I recently started to read books again(all solo hobbies though). I will admit I also don't go out and "touch grass" a lot and I'm working on doing that alone(going for walks, sometimes going into the city) but doing it alone is kind of...boring and it makes me feel more alone , especially since I'm basically going out with no goal. I should mention I do also have social anxiety which I think is one of the reasons I spend a lot of time indoors.

I'm m23 and live in NYC, I go to college in the city, there are no dorms, so must students just come to class and leave afterwards. I am going to a new school this fall and will hopefully make friends but how do you turn a school "friendship" into a real friendship, like meeting up on days off or going to events together? And how do you turn that one friend into potentially a group.

And jumping the gun a little but how do you actually date within/using a social circle? I feel like asking girls you established as friends with is weird and asking her if she has any single friends seems uncommon nowadays as it seems more and more people are meeting each other online now.

Honestly I really want to start dating but the way my life is(and the way dating is today) its almost impossible to just jump right into it(and I failed on bumble). So I want to start following the advice on reddit by creating an interesting life but actually DOING it is a whole other story.