Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I received a C+ in PSYC 337, and I do not think I will get that grade under normal circumstances.

First, the outbreak of the Omicron Virus at Queen's during the final exam period completely disturbed my review progress. I remembered the final for PSYC 337 was supposed to be on Dec. 19th, so I got everything prepared, but suddenly the pandemic hit, and it has been cancelled and rescheduled. To make things worse, I have another course that has been cancelled and rescheduled. I felt completely lost during that time. Since the rescheduled dates have not been posted, which course should I review first? I do not think I was psychologically fully prepared for the exam. The last-minute announcement absolutely took a toll on my academic performance in the end.

The second reason is that, unlike local students, I am an international student. When the pandemic hit during that time, I was completely alone and had to deal with everything in my life myself. No one was here to help me, not even the Queen's. I remember the examination date was December 22nd, three days before Christmas. When everyone was with their family, I still remember I was holding a wrap and eating it in the snow outside the Stauffer. So much pain, loneliness, helplessness, and sadness here.

The last reason is that I do not think I was mentally stable during that time. When the pandemic hit and I was looking at that terrific case number, I felt scared and helpless. What should I do? So much uncertainty just hit me like a panic attack. I would cry in my bed because I felt so much more stressed than during the normal examination period. Not to mention, I still have to deal with other aspects of my life.

I do not want to blame anyone for this situation, but I want to say it did take a toll on my performance in this course. Thus, I sincerely hope Queen's can consider my appeal here. I appreciate your assistance and time

The last point, I did not choose the deferred exam because I already have 5 intense courses in Winter 2022, and I do not want the exam to interfere with my other courses. Also, back then I was actually thinking about returning to my country in January, which means it is impossible for me to finish the exam.