i dont know how to console others

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I had spent three years in my college hostel living with strangers, who had different first languages, with different religions, different cultures, majoring in different subjects and still managed to become friends. we all lamented about our college grades, about the heavy workload. the most challenging thing for me in our relationship was being able to console. living together, we have seen each other in our most vulnerable situations, we are aware of other's insecurities and i could say i knew them pretty well. but that's it. i am not sure if i have been of any comfort for them at those moments. naturally when someone cries, my instinct is to leave them alone. if i ask them what their problem is, even if they tell me, i don't know how to console them. I don't think i would be able to say the right thing. so i prefer giving them space and staying away. of course this didn't go well with our relationship. we are friends but not besties or anything. they confide less in me. and the strangest part is i was okay with all these until i got into marriage.