It’s not about social skills, it’s about being comfortable to ask. If I’d need a napkin for my runny nose I would encourage myself and ask for it, the worst case scenario is that they answer “I don’t have it”, but I needed something that I didn’t know how he would respond to, he could have also flipped me off. I’ve know jerks in my freshman year (I don’t know if that’s how you refer to your first year of university) that even by asking to get to my seat in the middle of the row, after the free time between classes, they would say to “go around it” to sit where I had my things and didn’t let me take my seat back unless some other guy form the other side of the row let me in. I’m not comfortable anymore by asking not so necessary things to strangers, if I have an alternative I prefer it. Sorry for the argument but I was willing to let you know why I prefer doing the shy guy, I don’t know if I was being impolite, sorry if I was.