Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Academic),

I am writing to formally petition for a late drop from MATH 121, which I was enrolled in during the Fall 2024–Winter 2025 academic session. I am requesting this late withdrawal due to severe extenuating circumstances related to my mental health, which significantly impacted my ability to meet the academic requirements of the course.

Over the course of the academic year, I have been managing long standing mental health illnesses. While these conditions have affected me to some extent throughout my time at Queen’s, my health significantly deteriorated in March 2025. During that time, I was frequently unable to get out of bed, maintain focus, or complete basic daily tasks, let alone perform academically. This period of acute difficulty made it impossible for me to continue engaging with my coursework in a meaningful way.

I have always found mathematics particularly challenging, and despite consistently working with a tutor, MATH 121 remained a source of overwhelming stress and mental exhaustion. Each session required a level of emotional and cognitive effort that left me completely drained, and any progress I made was quickly overshadowed by worsening symptoms of my condition. These challenges were unique to MATH 121; while my other courses were also difficult, the cognitive load and emotional stress associated with this course in particular became unsustainable.

I did not drop the course earlier in the term because my decision making was significantly impaired by my mental health. I was determined to persevere and believed I could still succeed if I worked hard enough, but ultimately, continuing with the course became incompatible with recovery. I understand now that attempting to push through only prolonged my distress and hindered my academic progress.

At this time, I am unable to complete the remaining requirement of the course which is the final exam. Although I cannot point to an exact single reason, I know that the combination of academic burnout, emotional fatigue, and the overwhelming pressure associated with this specific course has left me unable to continue. I have consulted my doctor and am now beginning sessions with a professional counsellor to address these issues proactively and work toward stability.

Looking ahead, I am committed to prioritizing both my mental health and academic goals. I am looking to lighten my course load to 4 courses per semester, and picking courses that I know I can direct my attention and energy towards without that great of a challenge. I am actively taking steps to recover by meeting with new medical professionals and will work closely with university support services, including Accessibility Services, to explore academic accommodations where necessary. Additionally, I intend to focus on courses that align better with my strengths and reduce unnecessary academic pressure while I work toward recovery.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration of my request.

Sincerely,

Jasmine Frias
20486896