Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 7939
Submitted: June 29, 2021 at 11:38:07 AM
First Name: Ayan
Last Name: Chowdhury
Student Number: 20239351
Email: 02ayanchowdhury@gmail.com
Degree Program: BSH
Plan: N/A
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: PHYS 118
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2020
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: June 26th, 2021
To the Associate Dean (Academic),
My name is Ayan Chowdhury, student number 20239351, and I am writing today appealing to drop the class PHYS 118. Dating back to the beginning of March, I started seeing a counsellor regarding my mental health as I was not feeling like myself and it was hard for me to focus on my work and deal with the stress that comes along with academics. I directed my attention more towards my four other courses as I thought PHYS 118 was only a recommended course for my intended major and did not consider the impact it would have. I thought I would be able to continue taking the course and it would work out; with my mental health being very low, I was fairly distracted from my work, and I feel as though PHYS 118 does not reflect on my academic capabilities. I continued seeing a counsellor until I left residence in April, once a week, however it was still hard to get to the bottom of my struggles.
As a first year student, I was not aware of all the deadlines that Queen's sets for dropping classes. In March when this was possible, a lot of my focus was directed to subjects in which I had a better understanding; PHYS 118 was particularly difficult because this course was very demanding and my mental health could not bear the stress that came along with the content that we were learning, as well as the proctored exam where many things like reading the question out loud were prohibited. I feel as though PHYS 118 places added stress to my mental health as well as my future academic plans moving forward in a Bachelor of Science.
Recently after the school year ended, at the beginning of May, I tested positive for COVID-19, as well as the rest of my household. This was a very difficult time for myself and my family as my mom needed around the clock care and my mental health again took a decline as I was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and other symptoms that weren't seen like the loneliness that comes along with isolating. To this day, I feel the aftermaths of the virus and throughout May & June I continued to suffer physically and mentally. I was not able to pick a major during the plan selection which further declined my mental health due to the personal barriers I could not overcome during my COVID-19 period.
Overall March and April were my worst points mentally in school as I struggled with learning new things and applying my brain because the frustration was overwhelming as well as the feeling of not being able to accomplish PHYS 118 to the ability I wanted to. Mental health was a very hard barrier I tried to succumb however it is a long road to truly dealing with it from top to bottom. My ability to perform in PHYS 118 was impacted heavily compared to my other courses as I could not overcome the challenges faced due to my mental health state where I felt as though I could not do it no matter what. Shortly after testing positive for COVID-19, it made me fall behind in not only my academic future but as well in my lifestyle from eating, physical activity, and my battle with mental health issues.
These circumstances have been very difficult for myself, and I am asking to please consider this as I am requesting an appeal to drop the class PHYS 118. For future circumstances, I think it is best for me to continue seeking professional help for my mental health as well as academic help from advisors who can help guide me to an academic plan that will help obtain my future goals. I continue to strive now to become healthier, happier and continue to better myself as I deal with mental health issues and ongoing COVID-19 related issues, physically and mentally.
Thank you,
Ayan Chowdhury, 20239351
To the Associate Dean (Academic),
My name is Ayan Chowdhury, student number 20239351, and I am writing today appealing to drop the class PHYS 118. Dating back to the beginning of March, I started seeing a counsellor regarding my mental health as I was not feeling like myself and it was hard for me to focus on my work and deal with the stress that comes along with academics. I directed my attention more towards my four other courses as I thought PHYS 118 was only a recommended course for my intended major and did not consider the impact it would have. I thought I would be able to continue taking the course and it would work out; with my mental health being very low, I was fairly distracted from my work, and I feel as though PHYS 118 does not reflect on my academic capabilities. I continued seeing a counsellor until I left residence in April, once a week, however it was still hard to get to the bottom of my struggles.
As a first year student, I was not aware of all the deadlines that Queen's sets for dropping classes. In March when this was possible, a lot of my focus was directed to subjects in which I had a better understanding; PHYS 118 was particularly difficult because this course was very demanding and my mental health could not bear the stress that came along with the content that we were learning, as well as the proctored exam where many things like reading the question out loud were prohibited. I feel as though PHYS 118 places added stress to my mental health as well as my future academic plans moving forward in a Bachelor of Science.
Recently after the school year ended, at the beginning of May, I tested positive for COVID-19, as well as the rest of my household. This was a very difficult time for myself and my family as my mom needed around the clock care and my mental health again took a decline as I was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and other symptoms that weren't seen like the loneliness that comes along with isolating. To this day, I feel the aftermaths of the virus and throughout May & June I continued to suffer physically and mentally. I was not able to pick a major during the plan selection which further declined my mental health due to the personal barriers I could not overcome during my COVID-19 period.
Overall March and April were my worst points mentally in school as I struggled with learning new things and applying my brain because the frustration was overwhelming as well as the feeling of not being able to accomplish PHYS 118 to the ability I wanted to. Mental health was a very hard barrier I tried to succumb however it is a long road to truly dealing with it from top to bottom. My ability to perform in PHYS 118 was impacted heavily compared to my other courses as I could not overcome the challenges faced due to my mental health state where I felt as though I could not do it no matter what. Shortly after testing positive for COVID-19, it made me fall behind in not only my academic future but as well in my lifestyle from eating, physical activity, and my battle with mental health issues.
These circumstances have been very difficult for myself, and I am asking to please consider this as I am requesting an appeal to drop the class PHYS 118. For future circumstances, I think it is best for me to continue seeking professional help for my mental health as well as academic help from advisors who can help guide me to an academic plan that will help obtain my future goals. I continue to strive now to become healthier, happier and continue to better myself as I deal with mental health issues and ongoing COVID-19 related issues, physically and mentally.
Thank you,
Ayan Chowdhury, 20239351
Documentation
Professional Letter: AC appeal doc.pdf