Go to orientation, dorm, club, etc. activities. If you’re religious, get involved with that group. At the beginning, everyone will be looking for friends - take advantage of that! Ask people to go to dinner/lunch at the dining hall, work on homework, study, go to on-campus movie/improv night/community service activity/whatever. Having an actual activity to attend together is an easier social situation than just going to a party, IMO. Best advice I ever got about “small talk” is to start asking the person questions about themselves - their interests, family, hometown, favorite movies, classes, music, etc. Or ask their advice about something or their opinion about something. People love to talk about themselves! Good luck!!