Does she know that you know she has a boyfriend? How often do you talk to her, and I don't mean in a group type setting, but one on one? Do you get any initial feelings she is interested?
Here is the problem you face. Lady getters can very easily get ladies that want to be had. It is another thing altogether to catch someone who isn't fishing too. While a straight up proposition may work in one setting (and by proposition I mean, hey would you like to go out sometime not hey wann fuck), it is by no means the best way to assure your success. The care you take in reeling in the prize is proportional to how much you care in getting it rather than losing it.
Basically, you need to set up the groundwork with some idle one on one chitchat. You know "Man that test sucked" or "Are you understanding xxx?" (assuming you have classes together or whatnot). Preferably do this in class (like right before or right after) or very near class times, and limit the initial small talk to class related stuff. By initiating the conversations around your shared experiences it start laying the groundwork for her to feel comfortable around you. Don't force it, like trying to talk to her all the time, or she may start to feel crowded.
Once you have talked for a while, I don't know a couple of weeks, then you can move on to approaching her outside of the comfort zone you have established. If you see her sitting alone somewhere, say in the commons or something, you can strike up some other conversations, maybe by intiating them around the previous common experience, but sequeing into something else. Hopefully she has dropped little hints into earlier conversations about things that interest her, and this would be the oppurtune time to use that. So if she is an Illini fan or whatever (just using this as an example), the conversation shifts from "Man that test was a bummer"...yada yada <pause> to "So you going to watch that game?"
This goes on for a while then one day you can make idle conversation, then bam "Hey I was going to go see <insert new movie> here with this friend of mine and something came up so they couldn't go. I really want to go see it, but I hate going to movies alone. Think you would like to go?" You can judge from her reaction whether or not the choice is due to circumstance, say she already has plans, or may be disinterest. Either way, if she turns you down just say something along the lines of "Well you seem really nice, and I really don't want to see this alone, so you think you might be available xx?"
How she replies right there will let you know.
Back to the having a boyfriend thing, if she knows you know, you may have to initially play up the just friends angle. If for no other reason to allow her subconsious to be at ease about "going out" with another guy. (Unless of course she seems to be hot for you from the get go.)
I have been off the market for 17 years, but back when I was on it was pretty easy for me to tell what my chances were. My advice to you would be to go with your gut no matter how much you like her. If you get the gut feeling she isnt interested, she probably isn't, and vice versa.
Good luck bud.
Re: Ok. A little assistance please. :)
