Petition Letter
My name is Poorvi Tiwari, and I am writing to share my situation and ask for your understanding regarding my performance in fall and winter term courses during my second year of university, 2023 and 2024. I deeply value my education and the opportunities I have here in Kingston, but the past year has been very challenging for me on a personal level.
Being an international student and living here alone, back home my family has been going through a difficult time due to some personal conflicts between my parents to an extent that they were considering separation because of the long-strained arguments. These issues have created a lot of emotional strain for me. Being so far away from my family in Canada has only made it harder. It’s been tough knowing that I can’t be there to support them or help in any way, and it has left me feeling helpless and overwhelmed.
I began struggling with symptoms of depression in mid-October 2023. The weight of it all began to take a toll on my mental health. I found myself constantly overthinking, feeling anxious, and overwhelmed with worry about my family back in India. It affected my ability to concentrate and stay on top of my studies. I didn’t even realize what I was going through at first—it felt like I was just going through the motions, present but disconnected. Mental health isn't something openly discussed back home, so I didn’t know how to recognize the signs or ask for help. It wasn’t until I experienced an anxiety attack and finally spoke to a counselor, this year April that I understood I had been struggling with short-term depression. I did not even know that there could be an option for me to consider dropping courses due to the issues I had faced until I met with my counselor, and hence it took some time to be mentally prepared for the petition.
I can say that at that time I didn’t know what was going wrong. I feel I was physically present but mentally absent, unaware of my surrounding. The impact of all that on me resulted in no motivation to put in my studies, every conversation with my parents was the same: their anger at each other, their frustrations, and me stuck in the middle, helpless. I started avoiding calls because I couldn’t take it anymore, but then again, I had to talk to them every day—it was expected. The worst part was how it drained me. I wanted to fix things, to make them happier, but I had no energy left. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t motivate myself to do anything, not even the smallest things. It was like my emotions were frozen. I didn’t understand what was happening to me because back home, nobody talked about depression or anxiety. People just expected you to push through.
I felt it was important to explain the reasons behind my performance in the subjects. This semester, I have been doing my best to keep up, but my mental state has made it hard to perform to the level I know I am capable of.
I genuinely love learning and want to do well in my studies. I am working on managing my mental health better by creating a healthier routine. I am determined to overcome these challenges so that I can focus fully on my academics moving forward.
I kindly ask for your understanding and consideration of my situation. I truly appreciate the support and guidance I’ve received from my professors here, and I hope to use this experience as a stepping stone to improve and grow. Thank you for taking the time to read my note and for being patient with me during this tough time. I am committed to improving my mental health and plan to stay connected with my counselor on a regular basis to ensure I have the support I need.
Being an international student and living here alone, back home my family has been going through a difficult time due to some personal conflicts between my parents to an extent that they were considering separation because of the long-strained arguments. These issues have created a lot of emotional strain for me. Being so far away from my family in Canada has only made it harder. It’s been tough knowing that I can’t be there to support them or help in any way, and it has left me feeling helpless and overwhelmed.
I began struggling with symptoms of depression in mid-October 2023. The weight of it all began to take a toll on my mental health. I found myself constantly overthinking, feeling anxious, and overwhelmed with worry about my family back in India. It affected my ability to concentrate and stay on top of my studies. I didn’t even realize what I was going through at first—it felt like I was just going through the motions, present but disconnected. Mental health isn't something openly discussed back home, so I didn’t know how to recognize the signs or ask for help. It wasn’t until I experienced an anxiety attack and finally spoke to a counselor, this year April that I understood I had been struggling with short-term depression. I did not even know that there could be an option for me to consider dropping courses due to the issues I had faced until I met with my counselor, and hence it took some time to be mentally prepared for the petition.
I can say that at that time I didn’t know what was going wrong. I feel I was physically present but mentally absent, unaware of my surrounding. The impact of all that on me resulted in no motivation to put in my studies, every conversation with my parents was the same: their anger at each other, their frustrations, and me stuck in the middle, helpless. I started avoiding calls because I couldn’t take it anymore, but then again, I had to talk to them every day—it was expected. The worst part was how it drained me. I wanted to fix things, to make them happier, but I had no energy left. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t motivate myself to do anything, not even the smallest things. It was like my emotions were frozen. I didn’t understand what was happening to me because back home, nobody talked about depression or anxiety. People just expected you to push through.
I felt it was important to explain the reasons behind my performance in the subjects. This semester, I have been doing my best to keep up, but my mental state has made it hard to perform to the level I know I am capable of.
I genuinely love learning and want to do well in my studies. I am working on managing my mental health better by creating a healthier routine. I am determined to overcome these challenges so that I can focus fully on my academics moving forward.
I kindly ask for your understanding and consideration of my situation. I truly appreciate the support and guidance I’ve received from my professors here, and I hope to use this experience as a stepping stone to improve and grow. Thank you for taking the time to read my note and for being patient with me during this tough time. I am committed to improving my mental health and plan to stay connected with my counselor on a regular basis to ensure I have the support I need.