Something I've always struggled with is social awkwardness. I'm amazing socially if I'm introduced or if we've been talking for a while but to start conversations? Often I come off as awkward either by the way I carry myself or my general appearance.

A little bit about me: 19 year old male, Hungarian/White. One eye blind, the other fairly bad vision as a result I wear fairly thick glasses (about.. half a cm thick I'd say)(we've asked about thinner frames.. no luck). LASIK is out of the question due to having already gone through a ton of operations.

My hair is brown, straight, and tends to fall over my forehead despite making a concerted effort to put gel in every day and make it stay. It's either cut the hair and lose the look I have going when my hair is slicked back or deal with putting gel in it every morning.

In terms of my personality I can be very stoic. Growing up I didn't have a lot of friends and was kept inside a lot (parents thought the woods were too dangerous with my eyesight). As a result I didn't really have a chance to interact with people my own age. In highschool I tried to open myself up and be more funny more outgoing... that didn't really work.

What's ended up happening, and what I bring to you as a question today.. is how do I become more open when I unintentionally look awkward and have even now in university a firmly planted stoic kind of vibe?

Both roommates I had left me for various reasons (one I'm still on great terms with the other I just don't see) so socially I was cut off. I only went to my first college party this past weekend and had a great time.

Edit: To add.. essentially last semester I was a hermit by virtue of the people around me making me feel like I couldn't go out. I basically only had a few distant friends and one weekly event that I'd go to. I now have a roommate as well as a fairly good grasp on my confidence. I am looking for advice on how to translate my newfound confidence and happiness outward when, to everyone around me at university (this is just a personal observation) me being happy or showing any kind of positive emotion is like a joke.