Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: My name is Nevin Nadarajah (20017288) and I am applying for an academic removal of the six classes I took this fall and winter semester. I have been struggling with my mental health for sometime and have been repeatedly setting myself up for failure by registering for courses while knowing I was not in a stable enough place to take them on. Addressing my mental health has always been extremely scary and frustrating for me, from my ADD, to my severe anxiety and depression. For a while, in my third year (before the pandemic) I finally felt like I was getting to a healthier place, where I could focus on school, my work, my social life, and my family. However, when everything switched to online learning, I felt extremely overwhelmed and afraid, and I believe the drop in my GPA around that time illustrates that. Since then, I have been registering for courses again, and again, hoping for a different result without changing anything. I was too afraid to seek medical help, or talk to my family and friends about it, because sometimes the weight of feeling failure to such an intense degree can make you want to isolate yourself. However, this semester I finally sought out help from a medical professional, and she comforted me by explaining how these feelings can be natural, and that the best thing we can do is simply ask for help. My doctor also provided me with a note that I will attach. This has been a terrifying few months for me, as I have been stuck in this really dark and isolated place for so long, concerned with whether or not I may even fail out of school. I feel as though these emotions and the weight of my stress has thrown me further into my depression than anything else ever has, and this has been holding me back from putting initiative and effort into anything I want to do. However, now that I have finally gotten the medical attention and support I need, I know how I want to proceed, but I will need help. That is why I am submitting this appeal and I truly hope those evaluating this request can at least somewhat empathize with the struggles I have experienced. I am proud to be a student at Queen's, and I know now, more than ever before, that I am ready to move forward.