Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Sahana Karunagaran:

20272446
20sk109@queensu.ca
April 12, 2023

Dear Academic Petitions Committee,

I am writing this letter to request to drop two courses that I have taken in the fall 2022 semester, LAW 201 and HLTH 230. I have never struggled with mental health issues until this year, and I've never thought that I would have to, especially when these years are supposed to be the best years of my life.

I grew up in a family that did not necessarily believe in nor prioritize mental health. To be the child of an immigrant means taking responsibility for my family and being trapped in codependency. I have always believed that everything I was feeling was normal, and it happens to everyone because everyone has bad days. My bay days turned into feeling too anxious to go to lectures. My bad days turned into making it so hard to get out of bed in the morning because the aching feeling had kept me up all night. My bad days turned into skipping meals and leaving me with no energy throughout the day. These signs made me believe that there might be a deeper problem. I was ashamed to even think of the possibility that I might have to seek help because why was I incapable of fixing these problems myself? I accepted the fact that I needed to reach out, so I found a therapist. I started therapy on December 1st, 2022. Since then, I have been able to find healthy ways to cope with my feelings.

I was incapable of attending the lectures for these classes, which made me fall very behind, and made me not motivated to even look at the work that had to be done. I prioritize school, and I was able to successfully complete my other courses this term, but it was very hard for me to do so and it did take a toll on my well-being. I had the other classes with some of my housemates who helped me get to class by walking with me and supporting me on days that I wanted to sleep through. I would stay in bed during the lectures because I couldn't even get myself to attend, and it's not like anyone would notice my absence. The thought would run through my mind. It became difficult for me to do the readings without attending the lectures for more background information and support, and there was no tutorial for the class. It was extremely hard for me to accept that. I did not drop this course before the deadline because I thought these problems that I was having could be fixed quickly. I put an expiration date on my mental health, which was never fair to me. I've learned the hard way that mental health is'nt linear.

This is how I plan to continue my studies and to rectify this situation, I will be taking two summer online courses at home, to substitute for this course that would be dropped. I have already enrolled in FRST 105 Reading French and COGS 100 Intro to Cognitive Science for the summer. I will be at home with my family when taking these courses and attending therapy sessions. I truly believe that I will be able to excel in these courses and stay motivated with the support of my family, and the biweekly sessions with my therapist, while protecting and prioritizing my well-being. Please accept this letter as it serves as my formal petition for a late drop for RELS 235. Thank you for considering this petition.

Sincerely,
Sahana Karunagaran