Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Hello,

I am hoping to drop the three courses in my application; ENIN 140, HIST 108, and PHIL 157. This past term has been quite rough in many ways, and these afflictions have unfortunately been negatively reflected in my academic record. I have found online classes amid the current pandemic to be quite difficult. I have a hard time focussing and finding the motivation to complete even the simplest of tasks. However, this was not the only event that caused me to have a difficult semester.

In late September, my family dog became terminally ill very abruptly. One day he was completely fine and the next he couldn't even stand up on his own, we diagnosed inoperable brain cancer and had to euthanize him by the end of the week. It was one of those things that you only notice once it's too late. This loss affected me very heavily; I had grown up with this dog and he meant the world to me. For about two and a half weeks after his passing, I found myself in a prolonged depressive episode which made it quite hard to focus on anything, including my school work. This would normally be around the time that I would start preparing for midterms, but of what studying I was able to complete, it proved to be rather ineffective. Assignments in my courses were either not completed to a standard that I was proud of or not completed at all. I was feeling rather lost.

Shortly after the October reading break ended, I became quite ill myself. I had to take a two-week sick leave at my job and also got tested for Covid 19. I did not end up having the virus but was still out of commission during that two-week break from work. Because I had tested negative for Covid, I was required to return to my job and as a result, did not get the chance to fully recover. From having to go to work and then also try my best to focus on school, I had very little time to rest and was rather worn out. I was ill on and off since then and am unfortunately still in this cycle today. Physical sickness again, made it difficult to complete my schoolwork while also trying to take care of myself.

All of these things collectively, the pandemic, the passing of my dog, and frequent illness, took a toll on my mental health. With a lack of mental stability, I found myself struggling academically. I was behind in a couple of my courses, and even with extensions for some assignments, I was ultimately unable to pull my academic life together without putting myself in a worse place than I already was.

I am currently living in Vancouver and working on a Kingston timeline. The main reason that I am asking to drop these courses is because I hope to transfer out of Queen's University. I think Queen's is a great school and I was incredibly happy when I got my offer of admission, but as situations have changed, it ultimately makes more sense for me to stay in Vancouver for my undergraduate degree and it isn't feasible for me to continue with online school in a different time zone. With these courses off my transcript or dropped, I will have a better chance of being accepted at a local university that makes more sense for me. I know I will need to regain some credits as a result of this, but I would rather complete summer classes when I am in a better headspace than having grades on my transcript that I am not proud of and do not feel accurately represent me as a student.

Thank you kindly for your consideration. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

Warm Regards,
Tai