Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Gurdaya Sidhu
312 Victoria Street
Kingston, Ontario
Canada

August 28, 2014

Dear Associate Dean (Studies),

Re: Student 10096513

I am appealing to drop PHIL 111 and PSYC 235 (Summer, 2014).

I came to Queen¿¿s when I was 16 years old and with a 4.0 GPA from Vancouver. I have had issues with anxiety and depression since high school. My age, being away from home for the first time and the unfamiliar and high-pressure environment heightened my anxiety disorder and depression to a very debilitating position. I would have extreme anxiety attacks and periods of depression, which would result in me locking myself in my room and not eating for days at a time. At times, I would not have the courage to open my textbooks, nor attend classes.

I did not approach anybody about my psychological condition as I feared what my friends would think and how my family, particularly my parents, would react. I knew that my parents did not approve of me taking medication and didn¿¿t want them to find out through medical bills. By the end of first year, I wanted to transfer to a school closer to home but realized that I didn¿¿t have enough credits or a high enough GPA to do so. I took PHIL 111 and PSYC 235, thinking I would be in a much better head space at home to get the grades that I know I am capable of getting and improve my poor academic standing.

I was naïve to think that my depression and anxiety would disappear the second I got home and they continued to be an issue when it came to my coursework. I approached my mother about my issues, and the depression side of things was not taken seriously but I began to see an EFT practitioner for my panic attacks. I did not find that the EFT was working. It was becoming clear to me that the online courses were too much for me to handle mentally, and the idea of dropping them started to develop in my mind.

Some of the ongoing family issues erupted in the week of the course drop deadline. During this week, I was not living at home and had no access to the Internet or my textbooks. As soon as the issues were solved, I e-mailed both my professors trying to explain the situation but they said I could no longer drop the course without academic penalty so I continued. I completed the exams for both courses only hoping for a pass and knowing a GPA boost was out of the question. My fears became more prominent after completing my examinations. I was having daily panic attacks about not only my grades but also the prospect of coming back to Queens. I received my failing mark in PSYC 235, making my GPA drop to 1.2 and that did not include my PHIL 111 mark. It made me realize that I couldn¿¿t do this on my own anymore.

I admitted to my parents how poorly I was doing in school and went in to detail about the severity of my depression and anxiety. They were surprisingly supportive and agreed to help me sort out my situation and also agreed to allow me to go on medication. They told me it was fine if I didn¿¿t want to come back to Queen¿¿s this year but I value my education and realize that I need to raise my GPA as well as earn more credits if I want to continue and transfer to a post secondary institution closer to home.

I met with an academic advisor the day I got back to Kingston and decided to stay for first term to raise my marks, apply to transfer to a university closer to home for next year, and then take winter term off to focus on getting better. I have also made an appointment with a physician on September 3rd to get referred to a psychiatrist at Queen¿¿s, and will be seeing one regularly throughout the term.

I realize the severity of my academic situation and I know without a doubt that I can get the grades I need. With the professional help from Queens counseling center and the support of parents and friends, I will have the necessary tools and support that I need to facilitate a better learning environment for me to perform well here at Queen¿¿s.


Respectfully Submitted,




Gurdaya Sidhu