Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Extenuating circumstances, beyond your control ¿¿ that being, a psychological and physical decline in my general state, including specific issues interfering with my ability to study and maintain a well state of being to pursue my studies. These conditions have led to poor grades, the inability to complete my courses, as well as the inability to write my Fall Term exams.

My physical and psychological issues began before the Fall term of 2017. I was originally planning to stay in my hometown during my second year to focus on receiving proper treatment for the issues I had been experiencing, but due to conflict between my family and I, I was forced to drop treatment in Toronto and go back to school in September. The issues I was dealing with then were still prevalent and difficult to manage despite personal attempts to do so.

These mental and physical conditions made it extremely difficult to go to class, maintain schedule, concentrate on curriculum, understand curriculum, and remember all that I may have been able to learn. These difficulties were present from the start of September and worsened throughout the term, where I found myself completely unable to maintain stable grades (or achieve any grade at all) by Week 12.

Due to the immediate and forced decision to return to Kingston to study, I was also financially unprepared to maintain a workable lifestyle during the school year, and was forced to work as many hours as was possible. This lead to a significant stress (on top of the issues I was already dealing with) and removed a significant portion of the time I could have dedicated to my studies and improving my well being.

I had been going to a program at Kingston General Hospital during the months of October until the end of November, but found the program extremely slow and the staff and resources unhelpful in dealing with the most critical of my issues.

I am certain of the fact that the worsening of my condition is the cause of my poor grades throughout the year. This can be seen with a brief overlook of my grades from my first year, as well as my admission grades, which have always been fairly high. I have always been a studious and ambitious pupil, and have always been engaged with my school activities. Even still, I have the desire to go back to school, continue my studies, and devote myself to academic success. However, the inability to take time off to better my health and be rid of my disorders for good was an incredible stress in itself, and the continued neglect of bettering such issues led to a difficult decline and eventually became life-threatening. I was not equipped to deal with the mental issues that I have been experiencing, as well as the physical dependency and slow destruction of my body that was occurring. Things such sleeping, eating, exercising, and socializing were already difficult to manage and regulate, so my academics were nearly impossible to handle in addition to that.

I had experienced a severe and life threatening ¿¿crisis period¿ during early December which led to a forced removal from my Kingston apartment to my family home in Toronto, and then an overnight stay in the Emergency Department of Mackenzie General Health Hospital in Richmond Hill. After the emergency, I was transferred to Centre for Mental Health and Addiction (CAMH) in Toronto and was admitted to their Women¿¿s Inpatient Unit for immediate treatment and further help. As I was unable to leave the unit for long periods of time and was still not mentally well, I had not gone back to Kingston during exam period and did not complete my exams.

The problems I had dealt with then and am still dealing with now have officially kept me from returning to school for the Winter Term (this time, with the approval of my family). I am staying in my family home and taking full advantage of the services that CAMH is providing for me. I am dedicating all of my time to improving my conditions and stabilizing myself so that I may be able to return to my studies in September of 2018 with ambition, a stable ground, and full health. I do not want this period of struggle to impact my academic career through false lens, as I wish to someday pursue further studies and achieve my long-term goals.