Petition Letter
Conversation with ILOP OFFICE :https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U9-PZ5T0e86uuDUbTpuRVozgqsjE-r7f/view?usp=sharing
#email with ILOP OFFICE
Hello，
My situation does not involve physical or mental health issues, but I believe my reasons are both valid and compelling. My original plan was to complete all my credits by the end of the upcoming winter semester and participate in the graduation ceremony in June or July. However, as I am applying to U.S. graduate schools, I must receive my diploma by August or September 2025 to meet their admission deadlines. This makes it impossible for me to finish my remaining credits during the summer session, as that would only allow me to graduate in November, which would significantly impact my applications.
As part of my original plan, I intended to take off-campus courses to complete my credits, primarily because the courses I wish to enroll in are often fully booked. For example, I am very passionate about French and wanted to take FREN118. I previously took FREN106 and FREN107, where I earned a B+ and an A, respectively. Unfortunately, FREN118 is not offered in the fall semester, and it filled up almost instantly in the winter semester. Additionally, I have a strong interest in social sciences and psychology, but there are no available courses in these subjects that I can enroll in.
The recent change in Queen’s University's policy regarding off-campus courses has disrupted my plans significantly. I sincerely hope to avoid taking courses that do not align with my academic interests just to meet the credit requirements.
I kindly ask for your understanding and consideration of my circumstances. Your support in allowing me to continue with my original academic plan would mean a great deal to me.
Thank you for your time and understanding.
Warm regards,
Mingwei
#email with ILOP OFFICE
I have a deep love for French culture. In high school, I read a book about Charles de Gaulle, and I was deeply moved by his heroic experiences. Later, I learned about the French Revolution, Napoleon, World War I, and the Paris Commune. Through these, I felt the spirit of heroism, romanticism, and even the purest form of rationalism within the French nation. From that moment, I began to admire French culture.
This explains why I have completed FREN106 and FREN107. Next semester will be my final one at Queen’s, and although I may continue learning French after graduation (since I plan to pursue graduate studies in the U.S.), I still believe that learning French in Canada, a country that recognizes both French and English as official languages, holds special meaning for me. If I cannot take a French course, it will undoubtedly be one of the biggest regrets of my undergraduate years.
As for social sciences and psychology, I’ve always believed that, in terms of scientific progress, the most powerful invention to date is the computer — which is why I chose to major in computer science. However, in the humanities, the most valuable fields are psychology and social sciences. Philosophy can address questions about the meaning of life and the nature of life and death, whereas social sciences and psychology help us understand the essence of ideological disputes and provide insight into human nature. Although I have developed the ability to solve many scientific problems through my computer science studies, my capacity to address humanities-related issues has not grown.
This leaves me wondering: If I solve scientific problems without thinking about the humanities, what is the point of solving them? In fact, I should probably study philosophy, but I want to start with something simpler. Thank you for reading this far.
As you can see from the emails I exchanged with ILOP, it’s not that I don’t want to take courses at Queen’s — the problem is that in the winter semester, I wasn’t able to enroll in the social sciences, psychology, or French courses I wanted to take.
#email with ILOP OFFICE
Hello，
My situation does not involve physical or mental health issues, but I believe my reasons are both valid and compelling. My original plan was to complete all my credits by the end of the upcoming winter semester and participate in the graduation ceremony in June or July. However, as I am applying to U.S. graduate schools, I must receive my diploma by August or September 2025 to meet their admission deadlines. This makes it impossible for me to finish my remaining credits during the summer session, as that would only allow me to graduate in November, which would significantly impact my applications.
As part of my original plan, I intended to take off-campus courses to complete my credits, primarily because the courses I wish to enroll in are often fully booked. For example, I am very passionate about French and wanted to take FREN118. I previously took FREN106 and FREN107, where I earned a B+ and an A, respectively. Unfortunately, FREN118 is not offered in the fall semester, and it filled up almost instantly in the winter semester. Additionally, I have a strong interest in social sciences and psychology, but there are no available courses in these subjects that I can enroll in.
The recent change in Queen’s University's policy regarding off-campus courses has disrupted my plans significantly. I sincerely hope to avoid taking courses that do not align with my academic interests just to meet the credit requirements.
I kindly ask for your understanding and consideration of my circumstances. Your support in allowing me to continue with my original academic plan would mean a great deal to me.
Thank you for your time and understanding.
Warm regards,
Mingwei
#email with ILOP OFFICE
I have a deep love for French culture. In high school, I read a book about Charles de Gaulle, and I was deeply moved by his heroic experiences. Later, I learned about the French Revolution, Napoleon, World War I, and the Paris Commune. Through these, I felt the spirit of heroism, romanticism, and even the purest form of rationalism within the French nation. From that moment, I began to admire French culture.
This explains why I have completed FREN106 and FREN107. Next semester will be my final one at Queen’s, and although I may continue learning French after graduation (since I plan to pursue graduate studies in the U.S.), I still believe that learning French in Canada, a country that recognizes both French and English as official languages, holds special meaning for me. If I cannot take a French course, it will undoubtedly be one of the biggest regrets of my undergraduate years.
As for social sciences and psychology, I’ve always believed that, in terms of scientific progress, the most powerful invention to date is the computer — which is why I chose to major in computer science. However, in the humanities, the most valuable fields are psychology and social sciences. Philosophy can address questions about the meaning of life and the nature of life and death, whereas social sciences and psychology help us understand the essence of ideological disputes and provide insight into human nature. Although I have developed the ability to solve many scientific problems through my computer science studies, my capacity to address humanities-related issues has not grown.
This leaves me wondering: If I solve scientific problems without thinking about the humanities, what is the point of solving them? In fact, I should probably study philosophy, but I want to start with something simpler. Thank you for reading this far.
As you can see from the emails I exchanged with ILOP, it’s not that I don’t want to take courses at Queen’s — the problem is that in the winter semester, I wasn’t able to enroll in the social sciences, psychology, or French courses I wanted to take.