The basis of social interaction is based on respect; friends have to be able to see you on an equal ground to them otherwise you're just a periphery clinger. But if you don't respect yourself, how can you expect anyone to respect you? You have to completely work on changing yourself. Start with your appearance, because if you view yourself with a low self-esteem you won't be able to do anything. Lose the weight. Join a gym, go three days a week. Change your diet, eat healthier. Get a smarter haircut, trim/clean shave your facial hair. Get a skin-care regime, use cleansers, toners, moisturisers. Start paying more attention to fashion, find a style that's in-trend and works for you. Make yourself socialise. Try walking around with your posture straight, head held up high. Go outside your comfort zone and talk about things aside from gaming and other geek hobbies. Make an effort to smile at girls you pass in the street, work your way up to saying 'hi' to them. Once you tidy up your appearance and view yourself with more confidence people will take note and want to be around you more. Talk to a few people in your classes/work, try and network a little bit. Maybe after class see if a guy wants to grab a pint and chill. Build up your social circle, use it to meet other people and girls. A year can make a lot of difference, you can completely change the person you are in that time. The fact that you are unhappy with being the person you are is the first step towards the rest of your life, but it'll only happen if you make it happen. Put down the Xbox controller, close your laptop and focus on the real world for a bit.