<< if after this short introspection you still feel that the rewards outweigh the risks, which from what i gather you definetly do feel, then before or after class just walk up to her and introduce yourself and tell her that you find her really interesting and would she mind if the two of you could become friends? (as a safe harmless way of gradually entering into a relationship, rather than the "in-your-face-take-me-or-leave-me-approach") >>
The danger here is that being a shy guy, he will could become friends with her and never really give off the signals that he wanted more than that. Of course he does, but she will later crush his heart when she starts dating some other tool because all she wanted to be was "just friends"
Don't we all hate that?