I am looking for some insight and reassurance on my current roommate situation. I will be starting school at an out of state large state university this fall and decided to go with a random roommate since I won’t know anyone. I received my assignment about two weeks ago and I feel as if I hit the jackpot when it comes to residence halls. Mine has the best location on campus. The only problem is I cannot find my roommate anywhere. I just find it strange that a 17/18 year old kid isn’t on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Also, I think it is strange that aside from our school provided email address, the only email he has listed is invalid. Heck, I’ve even searched his name on whitepages and other people-search sites. My parents think I am paranoid and have said things like “Back in my day, if you had a random roommate you met them on move in day. There were no emails and Facebook messages.” Ok, valid point. A tiny part of me wants to make sure I’m not moving in with an ax murderer. In reality though, I just wanna meet the kid and get to know him and find it weird that, in the year 2015, it has been virtually impossible. What do you guys think?
I think your parents are right. We all met our roommates on move-in day for the most part. Some people just might be not into Facebook, etc. Or perhaps he goes by a different name / nickname than what his “official” name is.
I’m with your parents. You’ll meet your roommate on move-in day. No need to stalk him down prior. Not sure how you’d vet out his propensity toward homicide in any case.
This is why I post in the parents section. People my age are idiots and have exacerbated my paranoia…“Dude… that is SO sketchy…Switch rooms.” HAHA thanks 'rents.
As recent events have shown, future killers are quite capable of using Facebook. The use or non-use proves nothing.
Anyway, I agree. At most this has created an inconvenience. It is not something to worry about.
About a third of the students I see don’t have Facebook accounts. Facebook is too 2010.
I think you’re putting way too much time into worrying this. Relax.
Why not try to contact your roommate using the school-provided e-mail address?
You both should be checking that address every day anyway.
If you need further reassurance, I have two sons who you would not be able to find on any of those social media sites and they are NOT ax murderers. As roommates, you would have to put up with a bit of messiness however.
Contact the roommate via the email the school provided. Then let it go.
Some people use pseudonyms on places like FB. Maybe that is what your future roommate is doing.
@Marian I actually have contacted him via that email as well.
My daughter got a random roommate assignment around July 1 last year. Days later it was gone (and she never ran into a person with that name, so maybe the person switched schools?). Around Aug 15 she was moved to another room with a new roommate (same floor, just a room or two away). Worked out perfectly.
This year DD is working at a camp, and phone and internet service are limited. I know many other kids traveling out of the country. Don’t worry that you haven’t been in contact. You may end up with another roommate. Random is random.
As others have said, at this point, it is what it is. 30 yrs ago I had one phone conversation with mine prior to going, and he scared the crap out of me. We were completely different in almost every possible way. We ended becoming great friends and I still keep in contact with him today, despite living in different parts of the country. Even if you don’t become best friends, it will all work out in the end, plenty of people to get to know. Good luck!!
Lots of kids don’t use their full names, particularly for twitter and instagram so just because you can’t find an account for this kid doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist.
Bingo.
“Smart” kids have their accounts blocked to strangers. I find it “strange” that you think otherwise. 
I’m not much older than you and I think you need to chill. Many people don’t go by their real names and don’t check their school email. Further it’s only June.
Calm down and it’ll be fine.
I am older than you but still in my 20’s - I don’t have any form of social media! I used to have Facebook, but social media just does not appeal to me. Maybe the roommate doesn’t want to do things just because everyone else is doing them 
P.S. I am not an ax murderer.
Well, I’m an old guy, but I do think it’s unusual for somebody not to have a web presence that you can find. But it doesn’t mean anything negative. If you were able to contact him, and he responded in a friendly way, that’s good enough. I assume you put “no axe murderers, please” on the housing form.
This happened to my son two years ago. The roommate turned out to be asocial, on the spectrum. Son moved out after first semester.
D got a new roommate (old roommate joined a sorority) this past spring who, again, did not answer emails. Same issue - not friendly, socially awkward. Hope your experience is better.
I got one D who isn’t on any social media, so you wouldn’t find her. I wouldn’t worry about it.
My computer science major has no presence on social media/internet and keeps it that way on purpose (kinda Mr. Robot like ha). Truly, he is very nice outgoing and normal guy. There are plenty of regular people that don’t like putting all their stuff out there, a lot of techies don’t, they know what can happen to it 
During his freshman year, his new room mate didn’t reply to any email sent through the school link in the housing sign up (no real name, just login name) and we were freakin out a little all summer too - so I get it - ended up the guy never got it! We asked him on move in day and he was totally sincere about not getting it and said he would have replied for sure if he did. On top of that - they ended up knowing each other years prior from playing a sport together as kids and they are now best friends working on a business plan and still living together.
So from these posts I think you can summize that you could have a future best friend or a nut as a room mate, but the fact you can’t find data on them or they aren’t communicating at this point doesn’t determine much of what you will get, just have to wait and see. Good luck!