Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 5927
Submitted: June 11, 2019 at 11:38:31 PM
First Name: Sara
Last Name: Mester
Student Number: 20131206
Email: 18sem5@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: ENSC
Level of Study: 1
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear Dr.Stephenson,
I am writing to you to appeal the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw for one year from the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen¿¿s University, effective May 21, 2019.
I am appealing this decision based on extenuating circumstances, specifically a significant mental health issue. I began to experience certain symptoms throughout my first semester at Queen¿¿s University, such as issues sleeping and losing interest in activities I previously enjoyed. At the time I attributed these changes simply to the adjustment of starting university. By late January, my mental health had seriously deteriorated. I was barely able to get out of bed most days, finding it very difficult to do little other than sleep. During this time I fell seriously behind on my school work, due to my lack of energy and feelings of dread and hopelessness. I recognised at this point that I was unwell and started to reach out for help. I called Student Wellness Services at this time to make an appointment with a professional but was given a wait time of over 2 months. Following this I contacted my family doctor in Ottawa, who is familiar with my medical history, and was able to book an appointment for mid February. After seeing my doctor I was prescribed a medication which I began taking immediately. I can sincerely say I was trying my hardest to get better. I improved slightly, and was able to attend classes a bit more regularly and had more energy for my studies. This medication ended up not being the right fit for my mental illness, with some of the side effects also impacting my ability to focus on academics. The side effects of the medication I experienced during this period included severe nausea, dizziness, and anxiousness. After two months on the medication with no significant improvements to my mental health, I was prescribed a new medication. I began taking the new medication in mid April. It took about four week of taking the new medication for my mental heath to significantly improve.
As I write this letter today, I am much healthier and happier than I was a few months ago. I am currently on a medication that is significantly helping my mental illness. My energy levels have increased and I am back to doing the activities I love, such as running and yoga. Some of the steps I am taking to maintain my mental health include regular exercise and finding time each day to take care of myself. I will continue taking these steps daily to ensure my health illness will not continue to negatively impact my academic progress moving forward.
I am very passionate about my education, and would love nothing more than the opportunity to continue learning at Queen¿¿s University. I plan to major in Environmental Sciences eventually, though I realise I will have to retake certain courses and significantly improve my GPA in order to do so. My mental illness is being managed by medication and lifestyle changes, and I feel I am prepared and healthy enough to return to my studies. I have been and will continue to meet with my family doctor regularly to ensure my condition remains stable.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my appeal.
Sincerely,
Sara Mester
I am writing to you to appeal the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw for one year from the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen¿¿s University, effective May 21, 2019.
I am appealing this decision based on extenuating circumstances, specifically a significant mental health issue. I began to experience certain symptoms throughout my first semester at Queen¿¿s University, such as issues sleeping and losing interest in activities I previously enjoyed. At the time I attributed these changes simply to the adjustment of starting university. By late January, my mental health had seriously deteriorated. I was barely able to get out of bed most days, finding it very difficult to do little other than sleep. During this time I fell seriously behind on my school work, due to my lack of energy and feelings of dread and hopelessness. I recognised at this point that I was unwell and started to reach out for help. I called Student Wellness Services at this time to make an appointment with a professional but was given a wait time of over 2 months. Following this I contacted my family doctor in Ottawa, who is familiar with my medical history, and was able to book an appointment for mid February. After seeing my doctor I was prescribed a medication which I began taking immediately. I can sincerely say I was trying my hardest to get better. I improved slightly, and was able to attend classes a bit more regularly and had more energy for my studies. This medication ended up not being the right fit for my mental illness, with some of the side effects also impacting my ability to focus on academics. The side effects of the medication I experienced during this period included severe nausea, dizziness, and anxiousness. After two months on the medication with no significant improvements to my mental health, I was prescribed a new medication. I began taking the new medication in mid April. It took about four week of taking the new medication for my mental heath to significantly improve.
As I write this letter today, I am much healthier and happier than I was a few months ago. I am currently on a medication that is significantly helping my mental illness. My energy levels have increased and I am back to doing the activities I love, such as running and yoga. Some of the steps I am taking to maintain my mental health include regular exercise and finding time each day to take care of myself. I will continue taking these steps daily to ensure my health illness will not continue to negatively impact my academic progress moving forward.
I am very passionate about my education, and would love nothing more than the opportunity to continue learning at Queen¿¿s University. I plan to major in Environmental Sciences eventually, though I realise I will have to retake certain courses and significantly improve my GPA in order to do so. My mental illness is being managed by medication and lifestyle changes, and I feel I am prepared and healthy enough to return to my studies. I have been and will continue to meet with my family doctor regularly to ensure my condition remains stable.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my appeal.
Sincerely,
Sara Mester
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: To begin, I would like to major in Environmental Sciences. I originally applied to Queen¿¿s university with the intention of going into Political Science, but have since come to realise Environmental Science is my passion. I understand this is a very competitive program, and I plan to take the appropriate courses upon my return to get on the right track. Having received clearance from physician, I plan to return to Queen¿¿s as a full time student. My mental illness is being managed appropriately through medication and lifestyle changes, and I feel prepared to return to my studies full time. My past academic performance was drastically impacted by my mental illness, as documented in the note from my physician attached as a supporting document. I feel this does not accurately reflect upon my abilities as a student. Having identified and dealing with my mental illness, I feel I will be able to much better focus on my studies and improving my grades. Going forward, I plan to retake the courses relevant to majoring in Environmental Sciences. Through regular meetings with my physician and appropriate medication, I will continue to ensure that I am mentally healthy enough to proceed with my studies. My goal upon return will be to raise my GPA to 2.5, while maintaining my health.
Documentation
Professional Letter: Scan2019-06-11_141242.pdf
Document: Scan2019-06-11_141242-0.pdf