My Question:
What do you suggest I do to "make friends" on my server?
How should I go about finding an FC that is new-player friendly?

Background:
I started a couple months before the expansion. In that couple months I added a few people to my friends list and joined/dropped a couple FC's, looking for people to play with. Thus far I have been unsucessful. This is, in part, my own fault. I am afraid to offer/request help because there has been so much negativity when I tell people I am a new player.

Every now and then I will get in a group of all or mostly new people, and it has been a blast! Running a dungeon/trial with a whole group of new people is by far my favorite thing about FFXIV. Learning the fights, exploring the space, and working through things is what I want to play for. Unfortunately, the random people I group with are rarely on my server, and I can not group with them again.