HOW TO ENJOY A SCHOOL EVENT AND GAIN NEW FRIENDS :)
Be yourself, try not to be awkward, and stay confident. Oh, and smell nice.
Invite people that you know well, you can talk comfortably around them.
When first getting introduced, make sure to make direct eye contact with a slightly firm handshake to let the other person know you are taking the time to acknowledge them.
Move around the party and try to talk to everyone.
If you enjoy solitude, there is nothing wrong with that. Life is too short to stay in uncomfortable situations. At the very least, be yourself. You may want to share with others about what you do or gain in solitude, as well. People will understand you better, and they may even learn from you.
Now is not the time for reminiscing or making "inside jokes" with a few close buddies. This is impolite to others who will be left out of your conversation. If you meet an old friend at a party and old memories come up, ask them out to dinner another night to catch up on old times, and steer the conversation back to the present.
When making conversation, try to avoid asking questions that have yes or no answers, like "Do you live here in Chicago?" Instead, ask "How did you end up living here in Chicago?" or start conversations with "Tell me about..." This approach will create more opportunities for discussion and will keep the conversation going.
Be fun and energetic for others (this is what makes it fun for you too), but don't push yourself too hard. Get "rest" between conversations or casually move among more intense and more relaxed conversations. As you get better at being self-sacrificial and social, your energy level and breadth of personality will grow. It is all about having fun.
Ask questions about others; don't just focus on yourself. You have a mouth, but you have twice as many eyes and ears. If you can pick up on that, being successfully social becomes a whole lot better.
Search for something about someone else you can connect with. You have more things in common with most people than you might think.
Look nice. This is helpful in gaining the confidence of others.
Let your love for people be genuine as people appreciate time with a heart that is opened.
Don't be too opinionated or try too hard to show people how knowledgeable you are. You already know your opinions. Focus on listening rather than telling for the sake of the conversation and to build relationships.
Introduce yourself to other people, and get to know their names. When others enter the room (or the conversation), you can say things like, "Jim...have you met Sally? She's a history teacher and she's just moved to Chicago."
Ask people questions that doesn't have a yes/no answer, then listen and acknowledge them. Make sure to have a positive attitude and just be you. You don't have to be over-energetic, people don't expect that and many people actually prefer down to earth people.
Don't just sit in a corner alone and wait for people to talk to you. Even if you're shy, there's probably some else who is just as shy. Watch and see if you can find someone who looks lonely and go introduce yourself.