<p>My roommate and I generally get along fine, and it's working out very well for the most part. However, there's one thing that is driving me absolutely MAD which I have no idea how to deal with. </p>
<p>She's not on the meal plan, which is kind of uncommon at my school because the dining halls serve really good food. I wouldn't have a problem with that either, except that she appears to /only/ eat this ready-made chicken stuff which smells absolutely VILE. Seriously, I've seen her eat anything else exactly once this semester. And the smell of the damn stuff hangs in the dorm, and it makes me want to gag. I have a very sensitive nose, and she eats it at her desk, which is right freaking next to my study chair. I can't move that, because there isn't anywhere else for it to /go/ in the dorm. She told me at the beginning of the year that she wouldn't be on the meal plan, which I was sort of weirded out by, but okay with--because a) I assumed she would be cooking in the dorm kitchen and eating /there/, and b) I assumed she would eat more than exactly one foodstuff! </p>
<p>Every time she eats, I get a headache if I'm in the room, and I don't know how to deal with it. And she has a personal smell which is driving me insane as well, and I don't know /why/, which is sort of problematic as she sits in front of me in one of my classes and we also compete in a sport together. I went home a couple of weeks ago, and the first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was how much of a relief it was not to smell the damn chicken.</p>
<p>She knows it smells and originally suggested bringing a room "freshener," which wouldn't have helped; I can't handle strong artificial smells either and would have the same problems with one. We'd been leaving the windows open most of the time, but now that it's getting colder that's not really an option, and I'm worried that it's going to get a lot worse over the winter.</p>
<p>Is there anything I can say without coming off as a total jerk? It /is/ half her room, and I kind of feel bad for wanting to tell her not to eat in here. I've tried to get her to eat other things on occasion--for one thing, fresh vegetables would be better for her AND not smell nearly as bad--but to no avail. I don't want to switch rooms because aside from this one thing, we really do work well as roommates, but the chicken smell is driving me crazy.</p>
<p>I don't really have advice (sorry!) but reading this I really started wondering about your roommate. I don't know how to say this without coming off mean, but is your roommate financially not well-off? Does she not have a meal plan because she can't afford one or because she just didn't want to? I know some college kids who live off of $0.17 a bag ramen from the local grocery. Is her ready-made-chicken stuff sort of like that (really cheap, heavily processed)? </p>
<p>If it's a financial issue, I would spend a lot of time thinking about how to sensitively approach her. If it's NOT a financial issue, and it's just her choosing to eat the same stuff all the time in what is after all 1/2 of your room, then I would not be so sensitive. You can be nice about it, but still be direct in stating that it really is bothering you.</p>
<p>I think it might be a diet thing, actually, since I know she was going to try to lose weight at college. She did mention that the cost of the meal plan was a lot up front at the beginning of the year so I'm not sure. Even if it is, though, why only the one thing? Surely there would be /some/ variety if it was just a financial problem. :/ And I know she's got a fair amount of her own money, too.</p>
<p>That sounds really weird, I'm sorry you're going through this :( I'm really sensitive to smells, and I probably would not have been as understanding as you have been. I thought your roommate might have a money issue, which would make sense and be sad, but if it's not, that's just... odd. Especially since you say she's always eating in the room-- doesn't she have friends that go out to eat sometimes? </p>
<p>I don't know of any diet that advocates eating the same chicken meal day in and day out, and as a female college student, yeah, unfortunately I do know a lot about all types of diets. If it's a self-created diet, it still doesn't sound like it would "work" exactly. You're totally right, it sounds unhealthy. This chicken stuff- is it like in a can or is it a frozen meal or what? Did she bring a bunch of it to the university with her or does she go out and buy some more every once in awhile? In any case, I find that if you dispose of or remove food containers from your room right after you finish eating it, the odors don't tend to "linger" as long. That might help a little bit?</p>
<p>Heck, /I/ go out to eat every Sunday evening because the dining halls are all closed. I've invited her to come with pretty much every week--we have a pretty much overlapping social group--but she never has. Which may be a mark toward the financial thing, but on the other hand when we were all out at a local burger bar and I got a bunch of fries to much on and offered her some--I offered everyone at the table some, actually--she wouldn't take any. So I dunno. </p>
<p>It's like a refrigerated pack of precooked chicken pieces--she stores them in the minifridge and periodically goes shopping and buys more. They do get thrown out, but the packages are sort of part of the problem because the trash can they always get thrown in is right next to both the desk and my chair. D: It does get emptied a lot--which she does when the can fills up, which normally doesn't take much time--but the packages themselves smell, even when they're fresh. That general area is also right by the head of my bed, incidentally.</p>
<p>This discussion with your roommate needs to be done with great sensitivity. Be sure to keep focused on the issue at hand -- the smell of her chicken gives you a headache -- and ask her for suggestions as to how to resolve this problem. Do NOT bring in your personal opinions about her food choices or her "personal smell" or her financial situation.</p>
<p>You indicated that she is fully aware that the chicken smells and had previously suggested a room freshener. What did you reply to her at that time? Perhaps you could reopen the conversation by telling her that fresh air has helped mitigate the smell somewhat but the colder weather is going to close that option soon, so you are looking for other solutions. Just as you have the right to be free from constant headaches, she has the right to eat what she wants. The issue is how to balance those rights.</p>
<p>Perhaps you could suggest that she eat the chicken only in the dorm kitchen, or when you are away from your dorm room. If that imposes an undue burden on her (if, for example, the kitchen is located far away or is constantly being used by others), then you may have to settle for some sort of schedule, like she uses the kitchen on MWF and you leave the room on TTH, etc.</p>
<p>My posting went in at the same time as the OP's last posting, so I didn't know it was not just a cooking issue. You can certainly ask her to dispose of the packaging immediately each time she opens one -- outside your room, or at least she can put it in a tightly sealed plastic bag.</p>
<p>Omg Haha... Sorry I just found your post to be extremely funny. Damn stinky chicken. </p>
<p>Anyways, if the person was my roommate I would say "That chicken stinks," and go open the window. At that point I guess I would deal with it as long as I had fresh air coming in. Sorry if I can't be more helpful. I do hate when things smell weird, especially when I am in class and I have to deal with it for over an hour.</p>
<p>Try and be as lighthearted as you can when you discuss it with her. Sitting her down with a serious look on your face and going "no offense but..." will automatically irritate her and make her feel like you are criticizing her, even if you say you don't mean to have that affect. On the other hand, making constant jokes about it or being so jokey that you aren't polite will hurt her feelings. Just say something short (by "short" I don't mean a short tone of voice, I mean avoid giving a long preluded statement) and casual like "Hey, I have some headache problems when there's a strong smell around. I don't mean to be bossy but would you mind eating your chicken in the common room or when I'm in class?" Keep a smile on your face and be polite about it, like I said, then after she responds, say "Thanks!" and move the conversation on to other things.</p>