Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean of Studies, and whom it may concern:

My name is Mitchell Hart, I am currently a 3rd-year Geoscience student, and I am writing this as an appeal to drop MATH 121.

I was in Arts in first year, and have slowly progressed over to sciences, picking up the required first-year science courses (Stats and Chemistry last year), this year I decided to take on MATH 121...

In last three weeks before the exam (my exam is in three hours), I spent literally one full studying and found myself in a world of anxiety and panic attacks. I have had anxiety in the past, and got diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in first year. I was supposed to be prescribed medication for it in first year, but with my Water Polo coach here at Queen¿¿s, I was able to find a few rituals that have helped me through the last three years with no medication, and little resurfacing of anxiety besides this anomalous current situation.
This time was different. Throughout that day I had such bad anxiety and panic attacks that I couldn¿¿t hold a pencil because I was physically shaking. My whole body locked down and my chest would hurt as it felt cramped. My feet and hands would sweat so much that on top of the shaking, I had to have a towel at my desk to dry my hands every couple minutes. This was during the day¿
At night I was completely unable to sleep, I would almost drift off into sleep, but then get a jolt of adrenaline that pumped me awake for another 30 minutes as I was reminded of what was looming. Every time I¿¿d get that adrenaline rush I would go on my computer and look at masters program requirements, the anxiety from learning that maybe failing in a class in third year might actually completely affect my future made my situation exponentially worse. This ¿¿positive-feedback cycle¿ just kept getting worse and worse to one point where I cried in my bed.
This cycle continued for 2 nights, and the disappearance of sleep destroyed my immune system. Like clockwork I also became very ill. A bad viral cold kept me bed ridden for 2 days, and aches, chills, a sore throat, and exhaustion still continue today. Now, besides the fact that I would already break down when studying math from anxiety, I had little energy to even make food or go outside. I have visited the clinic to check my condition.
At this point I had called my parents, and informed them of my situation, we agreed I had to stop thinking about math if I was to have any energy or ability to focus on my other exams. So I did, and despite still recovering from being ill and tired, I was extremely pleased with my first exam. I am going to write my name on my exam my math exam (not going to actually write it, I don¿¿t know how incompletes work as I¿¿ve never been in this situation, so I¿¿m going to put my name on it, take attendance, and leave.)
I have been completely unable to put time in to studying math at risk of further botching my health, and all of my other courses, as well as breaking down and going further into depression.
I have made a plan as to going forward, I plan on taking Math with my final first year science class (Physics), both online, and at home, in the summer. There I will be able to focus without worrying about other classes, and will have the resources and support to complete them with solid effort, and without the stress. I am still not wanting to take medication for my GAD, and I am confident that in an atmosphere like my own home, my rituals to counteract stress and anxiety will work like they have so well before.

I hope you see this appeal fit. I am seeing a counsellor on Monday to get my supporting documentation (booked it on Tuesday, that was the earliest), and I would be happy to provide my mom as a reference too, she helped me through some of the darkest times on those un-sleepable nights.