Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 14413
Submitted: May 29, 2026 at 2:39:18 AM
First Name: Gurkiran
Last Name: Bahl
Pronoun: She/Her
Preferred Name: Gurkiran
Student Number: 20509755
Email: gurkiranbahl@outlook.com
Degree Program: BSCH
Plan: ENSC
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: PHYS 117
Term: Fall
Year: 2025
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Instructor's Name: Anne Topper
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Members of the Academic Petition Committee,
Please accept this letter and the attached doctors note as a formal request to drop my first-year Physics course from the Fall 2025 semester. During my first semester at Queen's, I experienced severe physical and mental trauma due to stark change in weather and separation from family I never experienced before in my life. These issues deeply affected my health, ability to think clearly, and process new information quickly which is required for accelerated studies in the university. As a full IB student in Grade 11/12, I am used to working hard, do extensive self learning, have a study discipline, and have had good grades in high school. I have strong references from my teachers who appreciated my perseverance in the school. I was accepted into multiple highly respected universities, and I chose Queens for its welcoming nature and strong academic focus.
While my anxiety made the whole semester difficult, it specifically ruined my ability to handle Physics. Because of my prior IB coursework, I had a strong foundation in my other subjects, allowing me to complete them with better success despite my health. Physics, however, required me to learn entirely new, abstract concepts and think critically under pressure. When my medical anxiety peaked, my brain simply couldn't process or retain this unfamiliar information, causing my grade to suffer far more than the other courses.
Moving to a new city was already a major adjustment, but my health made the transition incredibly hard. I had to manage three major issues all at once:
• Nose and Ear Issues from the Cold: I had a nose surgery in 2023 as I had difficulty breathing. I come from Vancouver where the weather is moderate, and therefore I did not experience significant post surgical issues. However, Kingston's harsh winter and freezing air deeply impacted my sinus areas. My health issues took a toll on my grades during the first semester.
• Severe Menstruation and Low Iron: I suffered from irregular and severely painful cycles that lasted around 14 days at a time. The heavy bleeding along with iron-deficiency caused severe weakness. Even though I was taking prescribed iron pills, the constant blood loss left me feeling incredibly weak and exhausted every single day. I felt displaced in a new city, and I was confused if I should go out and seek medical help especially in the harsh winter.
• Anxiety and Isolation: Dealing with constant physical pain while being away from my family support network triggered severe anxiety. Because I was completely new to the city, I felt incredibly isolated and did not know who I could turn to for help.
I understand the Committee will ask why I did not utilize standard academic consideration pathways or drop the course before the official deadline. I want to explicitly address how my medical state directly prevented me from doing so.
My physical pain did not occur linearly; rather, it occurred in severe, overwhelming waves. During these peak episodes, my physical pain and the fatigue from low iron critically impaired my cognitive function, clarity, and decision-making abilities. I was focused entirely on daily physical survival. Because the pain fluctuated wildly, I spent the semester desperately attempting non-invasive, holistic management strategies, including specialized physical exercises, hoping each adjustment would allow me to recover and help me focus on my studies.
Unfortunately, these interventions provided inconsistent relief. When critical exams and assessments arrived, the pain peaked unpredictably, leaving me unable to attend classes, and perform at a passing standard. Because my cognitive processing was so cloud-like and heavily compromised by weakness, I lacked the mental clarity to properly navigate the university's academic consideration forms or evaluate the long-term impact on my transcript until after the year concluded and plan selection began.
To support my statement, I have attached:
- A Doctor's Note: Confirming my 14-day painful cycles, my post-surgery ear/nose complications, and severe anxiety causing a physical toll they took on me.
My final grade in Physics does not reflect my actual academic ability or how hard I tried. It is a direct result of a severe health crisis that I had to face entirely alone. Removing this grade from my transcript will give me a fresh start to focus on my future at Queen's University in good health.
Thank you so much for your time, empathy, and understanding.
Gurkiran Bahl
Please accept this letter and the attached doctors note as a formal request to drop my first-year Physics course from the Fall 2025 semester. During my first semester at Queen's, I experienced severe physical and mental trauma due to stark change in weather and separation from family I never experienced before in my life. These issues deeply affected my health, ability to think clearly, and process new information quickly which is required for accelerated studies in the university. As a full IB student in Grade 11/12, I am used to working hard, do extensive self learning, have a study discipline, and have had good grades in high school. I have strong references from my teachers who appreciated my perseverance in the school. I was accepted into multiple highly respected universities, and I chose Queens for its welcoming nature and strong academic focus.
While my anxiety made the whole semester difficult, it specifically ruined my ability to handle Physics. Because of my prior IB coursework, I had a strong foundation in my other subjects, allowing me to complete them with better success despite my health. Physics, however, required me to learn entirely new, abstract concepts and think critically under pressure. When my medical anxiety peaked, my brain simply couldn't process or retain this unfamiliar information, causing my grade to suffer far more than the other courses.
Moving to a new city was already a major adjustment, but my health made the transition incredibly hard. I had to manage three major issues all at once:
• Nose and Ear Issues from the Cold: I had a nose surgery in 2023 as I had difficulty breathing. I come from Vancouver where the weather is moderate, and therefore I did not experience significant post surgical issues. However, Kingston's harsh winter and freezing air deeply impacted my sinus areas. My health issues took a toll on my grades during the first semester.
• Severe Menstruation and Low Iron: I suffered from irregular and severely painful cycles that lasted around 14 days at a time. The heavy bleeding along with iron-deficiency caused severe weakness. Even though I was taking prescribed iron pills, the constant blood loss left me feeling incredibly weak and exhausted every single day. I felt displaced in a new city, and I was confused if I should go out and seek medical help especially in the harsh winter.
• Anxiety and Isolation: Dealing with constant physical pain while being away from my family support network triggered severe anxiety. Because I was completely new to the city, I felt incredibly isolated and did not know who I could turn to for help.
I understand the Committee will ask why I did not utilize standard academic consideration pathways or drop the course before the official deadline. I want to explicitly address how my medical state directly prevented me from doing so.
My physical pain did not occur linearly; rather, it occurred in severe, overwhelming waves. During these peak episodes, my physical pain and the fatigue from low iron critically impaired my cognitive function, clarity, and decision-making abilities. I was focused entirely on daily physical survival. Because the pain fluctuated wildly, I spent the semester desperately attempting non-invasive, holistic management strategies, including specialized physical exercises, hoping each adjustment would allow me to recover and help me focus on my studies.
Unfortunately, these interventions provided inconsistent relief. When critical exams and assessments arrived, the pain peaked unpredictably, leaving me unable to attend classes, and perform at a passing standard. Because my cognitive processing was so cloud-like and heavily compromised by weakness, I lacked the mental clarity to properly navigate the university's academic consideration forms or evaluate the long-term impact on my transcript until after the year concluded and plan selection began.
To support my statement, I have attached:
- A Doctor's Note: Confirming my 14-day painful cycles, my post-surgery ear/nose complications, and severe anxiety causing a physical toll they took on me.
My final grade in Physics does not reflect my actual academic ability or how hard I tried. It is a direct result of a severe health crisis that I had to face entirely alone. Removing this grade from my transcript will give me a fresh start to focus on my future at Queen's University in good health.
Thank you so much for your time, empathy, and understanding.
Gurkiran Bahl
Documentation
Professional Letter: Doctors Note-41.pdf