Depressed about being single

I'll do my best not to make this sound sad/desperate.

I am a guy in my first year at Uni. Over the last few months I've been determined to get a girlfriend (I couldn't think of a less cheesy way of putting it) and have had no such luck.

This is really depressing me, because I've always considered myself to be a fairly attractive guy (okay, obviously not Brad Pitt, but you get my point) and I am very down-to-earth.

It's like almost every girl I even attempt to talk to or 'chat up' just doesn't want anything to do with it, some of them have even laughed and didn't think I was being serious. This is the kind of stuff that really puts me down and really does make me think I will be 'forever alone'.

Everyone always says "you'll find someone". It's been like that for the last 2-3 years now (since starting A-Levels)!

I've even been tempted to try online dating - something which I saw as an absolute last resort.

I am an optimist, so there is a small part of my mind that is telling me not to give up, but frankly, after almost three years, I don't see anything happening.

So really, I can only ask for advice. Anybody here in a relationship: how did you two meet? What did he/she say to you, or what did you say to them? At what point did you say: will you be my boyfriend/girlfriend?

Either I'm doing something seriously wrong, or almost every girl I find attractive just isn't interested.