Well, I've got two things to say to you man. Firstly you should make sure these people are actually talking about you in some concrete way like using your name or eluding directly and descriptively to something that you have recently done or said. I had a friend once who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and when this first showed up for him he was talking quite a bit like you. Very interested in the workings of the human mind I had him explain this phenomenon to me in great detail. Basically he was sure that he was being monitored all of the time and that everyone around him was aware of all of his actions. When he would overhear conversations between anyone he would make whatever they were talking about fit him or something that he had done even in private. He believed that all of these people were part of a large conspiracy aimed at doing him harm. Most people are more concerned with themselves than making someone whom they just mets life a living hell. It is true though that people can be cruel. This leads me into the second thing I wanted to say, if you're not having a psychotic break then you should just come to terms with the fact that there is no such thing as normal, everyone is unique and honestly the more unique you are the more likely you are to be interesting to other people. It sounds to me like you have a bit of social anxiety, I used to suffer from it myself. I have since come to realize that my anxiety was far worse then what the situation called for and caused me to be awkward which in turn made my anxiety worse, it is a viscous cycle.
I would like to know more about what it is you think these people are saying about you, what it pertains to and how exactly it's worded, if your comfortable with that.
Is this your first time being around so many people for extended periods of time? I assume you're staying on campus.
Though I have experience with the world of mental health I am far from being an expert and even further from being a doctor. I do suggest that you get a screening for social anxiety and possibly even schizophrenia/psychotic break.
Best of luck to ya man.