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Petition Type: New
ID: 10182
Submitted: March 20, 2023 at 6:54:54 PM
First Name: Chelsey
Last Name: Odegard
Pronoun: She/Her
Student Number: 20246796
Email: 20clmo@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BA
Plan: ENGL
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: DRAM 303
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: ENIN 140
Term: Winter
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Letter of Petition ?? Dropping Courses Late
Chelsey Odegard
20246796
Wanting to drop: ENIN 140 and DRAM 303
To whom it may concern;
My name is Chelsey Odegard (20246796) and I am currently completing my BA in English online through Queen??s. I am 30 years old and have been delighted to be back in school. However, schoolwork is something I have struggled with. Coming back to school at 30 has been such a blessing, and I was even making A/B??s which I never thought in my entire life would be possible- but I was succeeding. That is, until the last semester and this semester.
Over the past year, my life did a complete 180 and I have felt so lost and struggled with personal and family matters that have hindered my mental state beyond words.
I reached my breaking point this year. Exactly one year ago, my boyfriend of 6 years broke up with me over Facetime. He had been my finances (and entire world) for the last 4 years since I was not working during those years, and I decided to go back to school. He told me not to get a job and not worry about money since he would pay for my schooling. Then in March 2022, he broke up with me over Facetime. I ended up back in Nova Scotia staying with my sister in her one bedroom. In the meantime, I had to find a job to support myself since my money source was no longer. Thankfully, having kept in contact with the people I worked with 9 years prior, I was able to get that job back again. I was dealing with a lot of grief during that time and going back to work did save me. Trying to do school full time and working full time has been a challenge, but I wanted to prove to myself and other??s that I could do it. Those courses I was in did suffer a bit, but I got them done.
Fast forward to grieving a life that I thought I had, in August of 2022 my family (without the knowledge of me and my sister) decided to admit my mother into the psych ward and unfortunately, she has not been the same since. Once again, she was going through a divorce and was looking for support from her family, but instead they thought it best she gets admitted. I had to call my mother on my 30th birthday at the hospital, which she was severely sedated on medication. When mum was released, she came to stay with my sister and I in my sisters one bedroom apartment- where I split the time sleeping between the couch with my mum and in my sister??s bed with her. Once again, I was able to finish out my Fall courses with decent marks, and even was taking one vacation day a week off from work to try to have a day completely dedicated to school. It was a long road, and my mum just recently (March 1st) moved out into her own apartment. In between that time, I also had to grieve a whole side of the family, since we do not speak to my mum??s side anymore after what they did and how they lied to my sister and me.
The Winter was not good. I started seeing a therapist in January, which has helped, but ultimately was not enough. It is my absolute dream to become an elementary school teacher. I love helping people, especially children, to see their value and worth.
I honestly thought I could handle these two courses, but just the whole aftermath of everything that had happened and the grief I was feeling took over. I was supposed to graduate this May- but as that dream seemed to dwindle, I felt ashamed. I have always been very private and defensive over being back in school. I thought I could keep these two courses and still feel accomplishment, but the grief of everything started to weigh on me and I started to fall behind. The loss of love, the loss of my family, and the loss of my dreams started to take hold. A lot of these winter days that I was taking off to complete schoolwork, were used trying to help my mum. The apartment that my sister, me, and mum were living in together was starting to feel more like a prison. It was just a daily reminder of ?failure?? and not what I pictured for our lives. As much as I tried to focus on school, my mental health would only allow me to focus on what was happening in my personal life.
I was not sleeping, working a full day, and trying to stay on top of school but it was not working.
I am writing the letter in the hopes that my ENIN 140 and DRAM 303 courses can be put as DR??s on my transcript. I have so much faith in myself, but having people belittle you whole life saying that you are not cut out for school- or ?are you sure you still want to do that??, can really get into your ears. I feel as though I had lost control of my life and situation. I know I can do this- I know I can. I tried to take on as much as I could, I have realized that it is not a race against yourself. I should have taken this semester off- and in the end my mental state effected my schoolwork.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kind Regards,
Chelsey Odegard
20246796
Chelsey Odegard
20246796
Wanting to drop: ENIN 140 and DRAM 303
To whom it may concern;
My name is Chelsey Odegard (20246796) and I am currently completing my BA in English online through Queen??s. I am 30 years old and have been delighted to be back in school. However, schoolwork is something I have struggled with. Coming back to school at 30 has been such a blessing, and I was even making A/B??s which I never thought in my entire life would be possible- but I was succeeding. That is, until the last semester and this semester.
Over the past year, my life did a complete 180 and I have felt so lost and struggled with personal and family matters that have hindered my mental state beyond words.
I reached my breaking point this year. Exactly one year ago, my boyfriend of 6 years broke up with me over Facetime. He had been my finances (and entire world) for the last 4 years since I was not working during those years, and I decided to go back to school. He told me not to get a job and not worry about money since he would pay for my schooling. Then in March 2022, he broke up with me over Facetime. I ended up back in Nova Scotia staying with my sister in her one bedroom. In the meantime, I had to find a job to support myself since my money source was no longer. Thankfully, having kept in contact with the people I worked with 9 years prior, I was able to get that job back again. I was dealing with a lot of grief during that time and going back to work did save me. Trying to do school full time and working full time has been a challenge, but I wanted to prove to myself and other??s that I could do it. Those courses I was in did suffer a bit, but I got them done.
Fast forward to grieving a life that I thought I had, in August of 2022 my family (without the knowledge of me and my sister) decided to admit my mother into the psych ward and unfortunately, she has not been the same since. Once again, she was going through a divorce and was looking for support from her family, but instead they thought it best she gets admitted. I had to call my mother on my 30th birthday at the hospital, which she was severely sedated on medication. When mum was released, she came to stay with my sister and I in my sisters one bedroom apartment- where I split the time sleeping between the couch with my mum and in my sister??s bed with her. Once again, I was able to finish out my Fall courses with decent marks, and even was taking one vacation day a week off from work to try to have a day completely dedicated to school. It was a long road, and my mum just recently (March 1st) moved out into her own apartment. In between that time, I also had to grieve a whole side of the family, since we do not speak to my mum??s side anymore after what they did and how they lied to my sister and me.
The Winter was not good. I started seeing a therapist in January, which has helped, but ultimately was not enough. It is my absolute dream to become an elementary school teacher. I love helping people, especially children, to see their value and worth.
I honestly thought I could handle these two courses, but just the whole aftermath of everything that had happened and the grief I was feeling took over. I was supposed to graduate this May- but as that dream seemed to dwindle, I felt ashamed. I have always been very private and defensive over being back in school. I thought I could keep these two courses and still feel accomplishment, but the grief of everything started to weigh on me and I started to fall behind. The loss of love, the loss of my family, and the loss of my dreams started to take hold. A lot of these winter days that I was taking off to complete schoolwork, were used trying to help my mum. The apartment that my sister, me, and mum were living in together was starting to feel more like a prison. It was just a daily reminder of ?failure?? and not what I pictured for our lives. As much as I tried to focus on school, my mental health would only allow me to focus on what was happening in my personal life.
I was not sleeping, working a full day, and trying to stay on top of school but it was not working.
I am writing the letter in the hopes that my ENIN 140 and DRAM 303 courses can be put as DR??s on my transcript. I have so much faith in myself, but having people belittle you whole life saying that you are not cut out for school- or ?are you sure you still want to do that??, can really get into your ears. I feel as though I had lost control of my life and situation. I know I can do this- I know I can. I tried to take on as much as I could, I have realized that it is not a race against yourself. I should have taken this semester off- and in the end my mental state effected my schoolwork.
Thank you for your consideration.
Kind Regards,
Chelsey Odegard
20246796
Documentation
Professional Letter: Green Leaf Psycological Services Letter- Odegard 20246796.pdf