Petition Letter
September 20th, 2023
Dear Associate Dean,
I am requesting to add POLS250 and PSYC271 to my course load this semester while I drop CHEM112.
On September 17th I tested positive for COVID-19. I was very sick with flu-like symptoms that required me to take over-the counter medication. I isolated in my room for four days as part of an effort to protect my housemates, testing every day. On September 18th, I missed a meeting with my MUN team. While I do not have an official doctor’s note, a letter confirming my absence from the meeting is attached.
For some time, I have been trying to decide whether to focus my studies on the arts or the sciences. This decision includes the question of whether to major, minor, or exclude biology from my degree plan. CHEM112 is a prerequisite for a biology major and minor. Today, September 20th, I had a chemistry lab that confirmed to me that, because I am still unsure that I would like to continue my plan with biology, I would rather delay my taking of the six credit CHEM112, while continuing to take biology courses that will either confirm or deny my interest, all the while still supplementing my interest in psychology.
I have been spending a lot of my time contemplating my interests and where they may lead in terms of a career. I have been meeting regularly with a career counselor from home, the career advisors at Queen’s, and the academic advisors. As a second-year student, I believe it is not uncommon to feel like I don’t have all the answers right now. What I do know is that while I do show a strong interest in Biology, my passions lie in Political Science and Psychology. With the strong possibility of doing a law degree in the future, these are logical choices.
I didn’t make the decision earlier simply because I did not know or have the clarity I do now. As an individual with ADHD, I struggle immensely with indecision and found it very difficult to make the final call. To put it bluntly, I agonized over this decision every day of the add/drop period. The combination of having contracted COVID during this time—which left me physically and mentally indisposed, and having ADHD, ultimately led me to a last-minute decision. As my ADHD is a fairly recent diagnosis, I have not explored medication options; however, this occurrence has shown me that I need to.
Sincerely,
Savannah Summers
Dear Associate Dean,
I am requesting to add POLS250 and PSYC271 to my course load this semester while I drop CHEM112.
On September 17th I tested positive for COVID-19. I was very sick with flu-like symptoms that required me to take over-the counter medication. I isolated in my room for four days as part of an effort to protect my housemates, testing every day. On September 18th, I missed a meeting with my MUN team. While I do not have an official doctor’s note, a letter confirming my absence from the meeting is attached.
For some time, I have been trying to decide whether to focus my studies on the arts or the sciences. This decision includes the question of whether to major, minor, or exclude biology from my degree plan. CHEM112 is a prerequisite for a biology major and minor. Today, September 20th, I had a chemistry lab that confirmed to me that, because I am still unsure that I would like to continue my plan with biology, I would rather delay my taking of the six credit CHEM112, while continuing to take biology courses that will either confirm or deny my interest, all the while still supplementing my interest in psychology.
I have been spending a lot of my time contemplating my interests and where they may lead in terms of a career. I have been meeting regularly with a career counselor from home, the career advisors at Queen’s, and the academic advisors. As a second-year student, I believe it is not uncommon to feel like I don’t have all the answers right now. What I do know is that while I do show a strong interest in Biology, my passions lie in Political Science and Psychology. With the strong possibility of doing a law degree in the future, these are logical choices.
I didn’t make the decision earlier simply because I did not know or have the clarity I do now. As an individual with ADHD, I struggle immensely with indecision and found it very difficult to make the final call. To put it bluntly, I agonized over this decision every day of the add/drop period. The combination of having contracted COVID during this time—which left me physically and mentally indisposed, and having ADHD, ultimately led me to a last-minute decision. As my ADHD is a fairly recent diagnosis, I have not explored medication options; however, this occurrence has shown me that I need to.
Sincerely,
Savannah Summers