Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 563
Submitted: November 27, 2014 at 11:38:12 AM
First Name: Madeleine
Last Name: Redfern
Student Number: 6018620
Email: 8mkr1@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BSH
Plan: GPHY (Physical)
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: CHEM 281
Term: Fall
Year: 2014
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To The Associate Dean (Studies),
I am appealing to drop CHEM 281 (Fall, 2014) for reasons that I will discuss below. I have spoken at length to my department head, two academic advisers, and a counselor at La Salle regarding this matter and strongly feel that this decision is in my best interest.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, particularly my anxiety, I have been unable to perform to the best of my ability in CHEM 281. In my first two years of study, I did poorly and had very low self-confidence with regard to my academic performance. I was ashamed that I was struggling and only confronted the issue when I was put on academic probation. At this time, I spoke with an academic adviser who suggested I take 4 courses per semester that year, in hopes that the lesser course load would decrease my anxiety and allow me to gain some confidence in my ability to do well in school. Since then, my grades have been increasing and my anxiety has been at bay.
Last year, I took the academic year off due to an ill family member. I experienced severe anxiety regarding my future that crippled my ability to sleep, which lead me to seek professional help. I saw a counselor over the course of the year, and this helped decrease my anxiety up until the 2014/2015 school year.
In CHEM 281, I received back my first midterm grade in mid October 2014, a 58 and immediately felt incredibly anxious about the grade, as I am applying to grad school this winter. The Professor via email assured me that it was nothing to panic about, as it was only worth 15 and that it was likely that altering my study habits would yield better results. Leading up to the second midterm, I felt increasingly anxious and considered dropping the course before the Oct 31 deadline, but my understanding was that I needed to receive these 3.0 credits to enroll in my honors seminar courses next semester (which, upon speaking with my department head on Nov 26 (Sharon Mohammed), I have discovered is not the case). All of my previous academic failures in my earlier years of study felt like they were compounding with me doing poorly in CHEM 281. I worked extra hard for the second exam, seeking extra help and attending course cram, but received my grade back on Monday, November 23rd- a 60. The few days prior to writing the second midterm I was not mentally well. I studied constantly and slept poorly. My desire to eat was low as I was too consumed with doing well on the second midterm, worth 25, as in my mind it seemed that if I received a low grade on the midterm my entire future (ability to get into grad school etc.) was out the window. Since getting my second midterm grade back, my anxiety has increased monumentally. I have been crying multiple times a day, have felt anxious to the point of making myself nauseous, and have experienced a ¿¿snowball effect¿- where I can¿¿t get to sleep at night because I am going over and over the consequences of this bad grade in my head.
The severity of this problem is significant and I feel that it ultimately will make it impossible for me to perform to the best of my ability in this course going forward. I am able to perform well in the other courses I am enrolled in (and expect to receive A¿¿s in them), as it is this specific course that has triggered my anxiety, brought back previous feelings of self doubt, and continues to do so. I am kept up at night worrying about how this one bad grade will be the ¿¿nail in the coffin¿ so to speak, of my future.
Because I am in 5th year and planned to take 3 courses each semester, this will not affect my ability to graduate next spring- nor do I need this course for my program. I will pick up another elective next semester and will have enough credits to fulfill my degree requirements. I have spoken with a counselor at La Salle and will be having a follow-up appointment to work on some strategies to recognize my anxiety earlier, before it ¿¿comes to a head¿ and feels overwhelming, as well as to develop strategies to cope with things that are ¿¿out of my control.¿ I have also spoken with Professor Zechel that in the event my appeal is denied, he will allow me to write the final at a later date (as it is currently scheduled for Dec 5th and there may not be a decision at that point in time).
Thank you for considering my request,
Madeleine Redfern
I am appealing to drop CHEM 281 (Fall, 2014) for reasons that I will discuss below. I have spoken at length to my department head, two academic advisers, and a counselor at La Salle regarding this matter and strongly feel that this decision is in my best interest.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, particularly my anxiety, I have been unable to perform to the best of my ability in CHEM 281. In my first two years of study, I did poorly and had very low self-confidence with regard to my academic performance. I was ashamed that I was struggling and only confronted the issue when I was put on academic probation. At this time, I spoke with an academic adviser who suggested I take 4 courses per semester that year, in hopes that the lesser course load would decrease my anxiety and allow me to gain some confidence in my ability to do well in school. Since then, my grades have been increasing and my anxiety has been at bay.
Last year, I took the academic year off due to an ill family member. I experienced severe anxiety regarding my future that crippled my ability to sleep, which lead me to seek professional help. I saw a counselor over the course of the year, and this helped decrease my anxiety up until the 2014/2015 school year.
In CHEM 281, I received back my first midterm grade in mid October 2014, a 58 and immediately felt incredibly anxious about the grade, as I am applying to grad school this winter. The Professor via email assured me that it was nothing to panic about, as it was only worth 15 and that it was likely that altering my study habits would yield better results. Leading up to the second midterm, I felt increasingly anxious and considered dropping the course before the Oct 31 deadline, but my understanding was that I needed to receive these 3.0 credits to enroll in my honors seminar courses next semester (which, upon speaking with my department head on Nov 26 (Sharon Mohammed), I have discovered is not the case). All of my previous academic failures in my earlier years of study felt like they were compounding with me doing poorly in CHEM 281. I worked extra hard for the second exam, seeking extra help and attending course cram, but received my grade back on Monday, November 23rd- a 60. The few days prior to writing the second midterm I was not mentally well. I studied constantly and slept poorly. My desire to eat was low as I was too consumed with doing well on the second midterm, worth 25, as in my mind it seemed that if I received a low grade on the midterm my entire future (ability to get into grad school etc.) was out the window. Since getting my second midterm grade back, my anxiety has increased monumentally. I have been crying multiple times a day, have felt anxious to the point of making myself nauseous, and have experienced a ¿¿snowball effect¿- where I can¿¿t get to sleep at night because I am going over and over the consequences of this bad grade in my head.
The severity of this problem is significant and I feel that it ultimately will make it impossible for me to perform to the best of my ability in this course going forward. I am able to perform well in the other courses I am enrolled in (and expect to receive A¿¿s in them), as it is this specific course that has triggered my anxiety, brought back previous feelings of self doubt, and continues to do so. I am kept up at night worrying about how this one bad grade will be the ¿¿nail in the coffin¿ so to speak, of my future.
Because I am in 5th year and planned to take 3 courses each semester, this will not affect my ability to graduate next spring- nor do I need this course for my program. I will pick up another elective next semester and will have enough credits to fulfill my degree requirements. I have spoken with a counselor at La Salle and will be having a follow-up appointment to work on some strategies to recognize my anxiety earlier, before it ¿¿comes to a head¿ and feels overwhelming, as well as to develop strategies to cope with things that are ¿¿out of my control.¿ I have also spoken with Professor Zechel that in the event my appeal is denied, he will allow me to write the final at a later date (as it is currently scheduled for Dec 5th and there may not be a decision at that point in time).
Thank you for considering my request,
Madeleine Redfern
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: HCDS sending it