Hey pajamas - what an awesome person you are for bringing yourself to the BB forums. I mean that, given your circumstances even a simple act like this is a brave thing and shows you genuinely don't want to just give up.
Look, as for uni - I know exactly what you mean! I'm a guy in my early 20's and spent a year there before I had to leave; what a crazy, isolating place, and I agree about everyone seeming to act hostile! I think that more people feel this way about uni than they'd like to admit - there's a stupid number of social standards and expectations that are built up around it. Way too much of a one size fits all approach I found.
It sounds like the people you do interact with are causing you nothing but harm - I'd say try to cut them out of your life as much as possible. For some you could literally block them from contacting you, for your mum, minimise contact when you can as I know people like that probably won't realistically change much. It can be difficult but if you view your mum as having serious personal issues herself and that explaining her behaviour to you (rather than it being your fault in any way) that can help a bit. But yeah it's super tough, I feel for you, my dad can be like that.
Making new friends - I still have faith in uni being able to be a good experience for you, it just takes more effort for some types of people. If you're in a tutorial with other people, you could start by asking another student for help with your work, then lead that into asking them a bit about themselves, just all simple questions, then maybe ask 'where are you heading after this tutorial/lecture?' then make a quick excuse to be heading in the same direction: 'oh cool I'm heading that way to get something at a store near there/to a class a bit further on from there.' Confidently walk with them there - the other person would have to be a real loser to tell you to go away at this point! If they actually seem like they honestly don't want to talk, just try with someone else in another class.
Other ideas. How about having a general conversation with someone on an app like tinder - some people, even most people, don't just use it for hookups - I sure don't! How about trying 'happn'? Just have a general chat, keep engaged through asking questions about what they're up to, and after a while ask if they'd like to meet for a coffee. I've been really isolated for years but have made a few actual friends this way! Let me know how you're going!
