I'm a sophomore in college and have struggled a lot with the idea of asking out a girl. I've only asked out/made a move on a girl a couple times in my life, and was rejected all of those times. There were certainly some times in the past when girls were definitely into me and I was too socially inept to make a move, which is probably are probably the greatest regrets of my life, but I am a lot more socially able now. However, my main issue when I want to ask out a girl is that usually she will be part of the same classroom or organization that I am in, and if she turns me down then spending the rest of the year seeing her every week will be extremely awkward. I've been in that situation in high school and it turned my junior year of hs one of the shittiest of my life. It doesn't help that every group I am involved in here is super small and close-knit. How do I overcome this fear and just ask a girl out? Or should I be looking for girls in other places? which brings me to my next question...

Where do I meet girls that I could potentially ask out? I already mentioned my dilemma with campus organizations/class, but I have recently been going out to campus talks and other events on my own and striking up conversations with strangers there (not just girls, but guys too). The only problem with this is that most people who attend those things go with a group of friends (who aren't always so open to meeting strangers like me), while I tend to go by myself so I can meet new people and because I don't really have friends who are willing to do that kind of stuff with me.

Does anyone have any suggestions? If you need to be critical of me to drive your point home, by all means do so. I need to change myself before I graduate.