How do you make small talks?

Hello :)

I've told you before that I'm a socially awkward person. Not much, but there is a higher level of awkwardness than normally expected. I'm especially nervous in large groups which should be quite easy to handle as you're not the only one on the spot. Even if I know some people, I'm still struggling to make a conversation. I see people around me talking and I always wander what they talk about... If I listen to any of the conversations, I hear small talks, random topics. How do you do it? I know it's supposed to be so easy cause you can find so many random topics out there, but I can't start a conversation. Besides "How are you?" and "How's school?", I really have no idea what to ask or what to say. I started this because I have a best friend's birthday coming up and there's gonna be a lot of people. Half of them I know, half I don't know. Even those who I know... What do I talk about? Maybe you're rolling your eyes right about now, but this is a serious problem for me. If people start talking to me, I'll respond. Sometimes better, sometimes not so great, but I'm not either rude or totally anti-social, so of course I'll answer and try to continue the conversation. But starting it is a huge problem. Also, I'm kinda glad that I have to study now (weird, right?) because I had a reason to turn down a get-together offer. I know all the people there and I still got really nervous (despite spending the New Year's Eve with those guys and girls). Yes, that's how hard it is for me. And people around me say that they have the same problem with meeting new people, but I don't really believe that. From what I've seen, I think nobody out of my friends have a problem as big as me. At least, they don't have a problem talking to people they've already met sometime. Am I super-weird or are there some other people like me? I'm thinking now, it wouldn't be helpful hearing I'm not the only one. I mean, it would, but that's not really a solution, right? Can somebody tell me what do you talk about? I really do not want to mention weather in any of my conversations, but I think everything I'm about to say is inappropriate or boring or too nosy. And then I keep quiet. Sometimes I hear somebody else saying the exact same thing I thought and everybody is amused and then I just wanna kill myself for not actually saying it. Also, I spend about 10 minutes thinking about something before I say it (if I say it). It's so complicated and stupid and annoying, but I really do not know how to pass this.

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How do you do it?