Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean

I am appealing to drop Bisc 101/3.0 (winter 2021)

I am a first-year student and this is my first time at university. Extenuating circumstances beyond my control affected my ability to drop this course by the drop date of March 5. Soon after taking this course, my anxiety began to build again. I became aware that this course was not a good fit for me. I became increasingly stressed as I fell behind in the course which cascaded into anxiety and depression. I was determined to complete the course but I spun my wheels and froze, which only worsened my case. I began to worry about the impact on my other courses. I doubted myself. I felt guilty about not being able to do the work and wasting my parents' money. As a result, I was unable to concentrate which affected my performance in this course. In the background, there was Covid, the outbreak in Watts Hall, my residence, compounding the difficulties of online classes. As a first-year, I was wrapped up in my work and anxiety and I did not pay enough attention to the key dates for dropping the course with an academic penalty. By the time I became aware of the drop date that date had passed and I became increasingly anxious about completing this course.

To lessen my anxiety I realize now that I need to give more focus on planning my whole workload and the research and writing stages of each long essay specifically. I know there's help through Student Academic Success Services and I will seek this out. I will need to learn how to use the library and seek a librarian's help. I need to use the course syllabus as a tool and record all key dates. I need to reach out to my professor if I am unclear to get on track. I also need to diarize drop dates without financial and academic penalties. I also need to take the time to support my mental health even when I feel I lack the time to do so. I plan to take a summer course to lessen my load and, during that time I will work on strategies with my doctor to help manage anxiety at university. When I return to Queen's in September, I will book an appointment with a counselor at Student Wellness Services to help get guidance on how to handle stressful situations in the future.

Thank you very much for reviewing my appeal. I greatly appreciate it.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Gotlib