Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

My name is Nadia I am a first-level science student studying here at Queens. I am appealing to have my failure in Math121 from the 2020-2021 semesters removed from my record.

Recently, I was diagnosed with ADHD, a revelation that provided much clarity in reflection of my academic issues. In the 2020-2021 school year I struggled immensely with completing school work. Many days I was completely unable to do anything due to a crippling lack of motivation and an inability to focus when I was able to start. This lack of focus made it almost impossible to watch my Math121 lectures to completion and I was unable to retain much of the information. I believe this was due to the nature of the videos requiring much focus and not being interactive. My lack of understanding of the course material impacted my test and exam marks significantly. Although this issue was most predominant in Math 121, it affected my other courses as well. The only instances where I was able to complete assignments or homework were at the last minute under strenuous pressure. In addition to this, I had an extremely hard time managing my time. Despite my efforts to make schedules, lists and calendars for myself (see attached images), I struggled with recollection and all forms of time management. This often lead to missing tests and assignments. All of these factors significantly impacted my academic performance over the last two years. In addition to these issues, worrying about my performance, grades and academic future left me profoundly stressed. This affected my mental health greatly. Collectively, this lead to an extremely poor performance academically for the Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 semesters.

The personal disappointment and strain I have experienced as a result have been immense. Many times friends or family members ask me what was preventing me from completing a task that to them was simple to accomplish. I was never able to give them an answer as they would not be able to understand that I simply could not. No amount of my willpower, motivation or even consequences of not completing said task could change that. Despite many efforts to change my habits and be productive, it was ultimately something I had to accept that I had no control over.

I was unaware of my disorder until December 2021 when I began treatment. Since this time, I have worked with my doctor to confirm a diagnosis and adjust my medication. It took until the 2nd of February 2022 to determine the correct dose and until the 15th to be diagnosed. I had not appealed my failure of Math 121 sooner due to the fact that I was unaware of my disorder until over a year after I started the course. In addition to this, I have worked with a therapist on various techniques specific to ADHD. Since medicating, I have felt like a new person. I am able to focus for dramatically longer periods of time and retain more information. My ability to complete work has improved as well.

Moving forward, I will be continuing with medication, therapy and I am applying for an academic accommodation. Additionally, I am working on adapting my learning and lifestyle to suit my needs in light of my ADHD. My hope is to move past my previous shortcomings and progress towards academic success I can be proud of. I would greatly appreciate support in this through your consideration of my appeal.

Regards,

Nadia Taylor-Meyer