Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 5638
Submitted: April 23, 2019 at 2:42:22 PM
First Name: Jenna
Last Name: Kim
Student Number: 20025273
Email: kim.jenna@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BSC
Plan: BIOL
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: CHEM 282
Term: Winter
Year: 2018
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: CHEM 282
Term: Winter
Year: 2019
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dr. Jenn Stephenson,
Associate Dean (Studies)
I am appealing to drop CHEM 282 (Winter 2018 and Winter 2019). In Winter 2018 I received an ¿¿F¿ in the course and re-enrolled in the course this term. In April 2018, the final exam for CHEM 282 got pushed to an alternate date in April or September from the original April exam date due to extreme weather conditions. I had to take the September option as I had to leave the country to go back home in Korea. I only get to see my family for a short period every year so this staying in Canada was not negotiable at the time.
I experienced my first panic attack during my STAT 263 final in April. This incident was documented by the Student Wellness Centre after I completed the exam. During the summer, I had plenty of time to prepare for the CHEM 282 exam. However, when the time came to take the rescheduled exam in September, I experienced another severe panic attack which disabled me from writing the exam. This incident was also documented by a proctor. After the final exam, I sent an email explaining the incident to my professor who never responded. I wasn¿¿t sure how to go about this incident as I thought it wasn¿¿t a fair representation of my understanding of the material. When I received the ¿¿F¿ I was at a place where I had a lot on my plate to worry about; balancing course work, extracurriculars and taking care of my mental health has been a learning process. This incident pushed me to seek professional help for the first time. Nonetheless, I decided to proceed with a positive mindset and re-enrolled in CHEM 282 this term.
Fall term 2018, I started attending regular counselling with Student Wellness and briefly at Hotel Dieu, regarding an ongoing eating disorder as well as seeking counselling for personal reasons. I eventually stopped attending when sessions itself induced stress. In February 2019, personal circumstances were worsened when I experienced the bereavement of a close family member back in Korea. Being unable to attend the funeral made closure, grieving, and my relationship with the rest of my family very difficult. I¿¿ve coped by trying my best to stay on top of my academics, trying to evade the situation. I cannot provide much documentation about my mental state in Winter 2019 other than a death certificate as I took a break from counselling. However, I can proudly say this academic term has been my best yet. I¿¿ve also done considerably better in CHEM 282 than my first time through, achieving an A- and B- on both midterms despite these circumstances.
This past Monday (April 15th, 2019) I came down with a sudden stomach flu and had to defer the BIOL 331 exam which took place Tuesday (April 16th, 2019 9-11am). Having this exam being rescheduled on top of 2 more exams to take, one of them being CHEM 282, I¿¿ve been feeling hopeless, stressed and fearful of the fact that I would fail CHEM 282 once again and possibly compromise my performance in my other courses that I¿¿ve put a lot of work into. At the moment the thought of CHEM 282 stresses me out to the point of a panic attack. Everything seems to be crashing down at me all at once with my family going through bereavement and myself with personal struggles.
Until recently, I¿¿ve felt very clueless about my path in University and had no passion for many of the courses I was taking. This semester I was able connect with a Professor from a course I¿¿ve worked very hard in. He has agreed to be my supervisor for BIOL 540 (Research Mentorship in Biology) next year. This has made me want to pursue further education and very hopeful about a possible career path. Entering into my final year and wrapping up my degree, I would like to focus on studying topics I have genuine interest in. For the first time I¿¿m excited to finally be able to put time into studying a topic I feel passionate about.
If I had known about this appeal process, I would have appealed my Winter 2018 CHEM 282 mark without re-enrolling in Winter 2019. I¿¿ve only learned about this process from an academic advisor when I went in for advice about my deferred BIOL 331 exam and my concerns about CHEM 282 this term. Going forward, I want to be able to focus on my studies by seeking further help from professionals. I plan on seeking help this summer.
Thank you for your time in considering this appeal and I hope to hear back a decision with my academic success in best interest.
Sincerely,
Jenna Kim
Associate Dean (Studies)
I am appealing to drop CHEM 282 (Winter 2018 and Winter 2019). In Winter 2018 I received an ¿¿F¿ in the course and re-enrolled in the course this term. In April 2018, the final exam for CHEM 282 got pushed to an alternate date in April or September from the original April exam date due to extreme weather conditions. I had to take the September option as I had to leave the country to go back home in Korea. I only get to see my family for a short period every year so this staying in Canada was not negotiable at the time.
I experienced my first panic attack during my STAT 263 final in April. This incident was documented by the Student Wellness Centre after I completed the exam. During the summer, I had plenty of time to prepare for the CHEM 282 exam. However, when the time came to take the rescheduled exam in September, I experienced another severe panic attack which disabled me from writing the exam. This incident was also documented by a proctor. After the final exam, I sent an email explaining the incident to my professor who never responded. I wasn¿¿t sure how to go about this incident as I thought it wasn¿¿t a fair representation of my understanding of the material. When I received the ¿¿F¿ I was at a place where I had a lot on my plate to worry about; balancing course work, extracurriculars and taking care of my mental health has been a learning process. This incident pushed me to seek professional help for the first time. Nonetheless, I decided to proceed with a positive mindset and re-enrolled in CHEM 282 this term.
Fall term 2018, I started attending regular counselling with Student Wellness and briefly at Hotel Dieu, regarding an ongoing eating disorder as well as seeking counselling for personal reasons. I eventually stopped attending when sessions itself induced stress. In February 2019, personal circumstances were worsened when I experienced the bereavement of a close family member back in Korea. Being unable to attend the funeral made closure, grieving, and my relationship with the rest of my family very difficult. I¿¿ve coped by trying my best to stay on top of my academics, trying to evade the situation. I cannot provide much documentation about my mental state in Winter 2019 other than a death certificate as I took a break from counselling. However, I can proudly say this academic term has been my best yet. I¿¿ve also done considerably better in CHEM 282 than my first time through, achieving an A- and B- on both midterms despite these circumstances.
This past Monday (April 15th, 2019) I came down with a sudden stomach flu and had to defer the BIOL 331 exam which took place Tuesday (April 16th, 2019 9-11am). Having this exam being rescheduled on top of 2 more exams to take, one of them being CHEM 282, I¿¿ve been feeling hopeless, stressed and fearful of the fact that I would fail CHEM 282 once again and possibly compromise my performance in my other courses that I¿¿ve put a lot of work into. At the moment the thought of CHEM 282 stresses me out to the point of a panic attack. Everything seems to be crashing down at me all at once with my family going through bereavement and myself with personal struggles.
Until recently, I¿¿ve felt very clueless about my path in University and had no passion for many of the courses I was taking. This semester I was able connect with a Professor from a course I¿¿ve worked very hard in. He has agreed to be my supervisor for BIOL 540 (Research Mentorship in Biology) next year. This has made me want to pursue further education and very hopeful about a possible career path. Entering into my final year and wrapping up my degree, I would like to focus on studying topics I have genuine interest in. For the first time I¿¿m excited to finally be able to put time into studying a topic I feel passionate about.
If I had known about this appeal process, I would have appealed my Winter 2018 CHEM 282 mark without re-enrolling in Winter 2019. I¿¿ve only learned about this process from an academic advisor when I went in for advice about my deferred BIOL 331 exam and my concerns about CHEM 282 this term. Going forward, I want to be able to focus on my studies by seeking further help from professionals. I plan on seeking help this summer.
Thank you for your time in considering this appeal and I hope to hear back a decision with my academic success in best interest.
Sincerely,
Jenna Kim
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: Documentation of counselling of personal circumstances validating my mental state from Student Wellness and possibly Hotel Dieu.
Document: Death Certificate-1.jpeg
Document: Re- CHEM282 Exam - Jenna Kim-1.pdf
Documentation Detail: Panic attack incidents from April 2018 and September 2018 can be provided.