Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: This letter is written to request an appeal in order to drop the following courses from my transcript: BIOL 103 (Winter, 2019), CHEM 112 (Full Year, 2018/19), GPHY 101 (Winter, 2019), PSYC 100 (Full Year, 2018/19) and GPHY 101 (Fall, 2019). My time at Queen's thus far, has been a testing experience, during which I have learned a significant deal about myself, both personally and academically. It is with tremendous regret that I find myself writing this letter, but since beginning to open up about my struggles and having begun to get the help and support that I so desperately needed - both medically and academically - I am confident and optimistic about my future at Queen's. I am truly hopeful that the relief this appeal can provide will set me up for a successful road ahead.

My acceptance into Queen's was a pivotal milestone in my life. It was a true highlight of which I am still deeply proud of. Being able to attend such a prestigious institution, among bright students and learn from the best professors, was a dream come true. My move from Vancouver to Kingston marked the first time I'd been away from home for any length of time; counting down the days, I was both excited and nervous. Despite having initial anxiety after saying goodbye to my family, I felt that I was ready to begin my new chapter. I was extremely nervous, anxious and felt very isolated but after meeting a few people on my floor in Leggett Hall, my nerves and anxiety faded into excitement for what lay ahead. My first few weeks were terrific, I loved all my classes, my new friends and essentially the new life I had. Unfortunately, however, this proved to be short lived. I found myself struggling to stay on top of my workload and became overwhelmed and increasingly isolated from my peers, as I began to seriously lose any confidence I had in myself, in my academic abilities and in my sense of belonging at Queen's. I also started to doubt whether the program I was in was what I actually wanted to do.

After fall exams had passed and were graded, I was disappointed with my results having had a very successful last year in high school. Comparing myself to my peers - both my friends attending other universities and my friends at Queen's - who all spoke about their academic success, making it sound effortless, had a significant impact on my self-confidence and my overall wellbeing, since I was having a distinctly different experience transitioning to university life. Most of my high school friends stayed in Vancouver to study, and those who did study away from home were only a few hours away or had relatives close. With these comparisons in the front of my mind and feeling increasingly isolated I endured a substantial dip in motivation at the start of second semester. During this semester, I began to struggle a lot more with my mental health, rather than just academically. I was in a constant state of anxiety and depression, this saw me retreat to my dorm room and further isolate from my friends, classmates and family back home.

Over the summer I tried many things to help prepare for this semester, but I remained stubborn and would refuse any type of counselling or additional support whenever my family would ask because, like many, I doubted the ability of these resources to help me. I felt desperate because I knew that I couldn't continue the way I was but I equally felt helpless, harassed by depression and anxiety.

Still, I reminded myself of the reasons that brought me to Kingston and my aspirations of earning a Queen's education. Again, the first five weeks of the semester started off amazing, I was attending all my classes and completing my assignments. However, the pressure I put on myself to make up for my previous year began to build. I had convinced myself that my mental health recovery was contingent on the grades I would achieve that semester and it was not long before this incessant pressure began to tell. Despite attending all my classes and staying on top of my assignments I still felt an overwhelming sense of being behind everyone else once again. I could see this semester following the same trajectory and that was something I really couldn't handle. It was around this time that I started experiencing extreme, crippling anxiety and episodes of severe panic. For several weeks, I had no appetite, could not sleep and when I did, I would wake up soaked in sweat, my heartbeat racing, panicking. I constantly had a knot in the pit of my stomach. This in turn, made it impossible for me to apply myself in my studies which then created a cycle of more anxiety. Luckily, thanksgiving allowed me the chance to visit home and talk with my family about how things have been going. It was then that I had finally agreed to see a doctor. Initially I was prescribed Cipralex for my anxiety. After spending the weekend discussing next steps with my family, I had decided that I still wanted to go back and try turning the semester around with the help of my new medication. On the plane from Vancouver to Toronto I experienced an anxiety attack, something that I'd not dealt with in my life before. It was desperately scary for me because I couldn't explain or understand what was happening. Paramedics were called upon landing and I went to the hospital in Kingston the following day. It was after this that I got in touch with the Student Wellness Centre where I began seeing a psychologist and an occupational therapist. Over the next few weeks my anxiety began to become much more controllable. I began feeling better, but slowly, it took longer than I had anticipated to start feeling like myself again which didn't help with trying to turn the semester around. This was when I made the decision to drop MATH 121 to reduce my course load and decided to try 3 courses this semester however, given the time needed for my mental health to recover the workload in the course became unmanageable, especially as I approached final exams. It is difficult accepting the disappointment of what feels like as another failed attempt this semester but, considering the circumstances I was in, I am truly thankful and proud of how much I've managed to work on and improve my mental health, with the incredible support from student wellness and my family. Life seemed impossible before I began to take my mental health and my recovery seriously. These past two months have taught a lot about myself as I have been forced to confront the many things I had been neglecting and which have contributed to my academic standing.

Looking ahead, with the potential to right some wrongs, I feel the same excitement and pride as when I was first accepted into Queen's. As I mature, the prospect of an education at Queen's means more and more to me - in ways I could not imagine previously. Essentially, this appeal would feel like a fresh start to me. I am confident that it, coupled with the support I am receiving through Student Wellness, will lift a huge weight off my shoulders. A weight that has been holding me back and ruining my self-confidence, making me doubt ever achieving the academic success I know I am capable of. All I want is a real go at a semester, one without worrying about the transitions, fighting the past or the accompanying crippling anxiety. I am committed to continuing to address my mental health and I finally feel like I'm equipped with the proper tools to succeed in this. With the continued support of student wellness and a change to my course load I feel as if I can strive towards a great future, with Queen's at its core - this appeal will grant me this opportunity. I am deeply grateful for all the understanding and accommodation I have been afforded.