Petition Letter
I am formally petitioning for a post-deadline course drop of CISC 102: Discrete Mathematics I from the Fall 2025 term. I am requesting this withdrawal without academic penalty due to the ongoing psychological and cognitive impacts of a significant medical crisis earlier this year.
Extenuating Circumstances & Academic Impact:
As documented in my successful petition for MATH 112 (submission #13783), I was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome in April 2025, which required emergency hospitalization and a month-long absence during the final stretch of Grade 12. This illness forced me to miss foundational concepts in discrete logic and proof-based thinking. Furthermore, my recovery involved intensive Prednisone treatment throughout the summer, which, while physically necessary, left me with lingering cognitive fatigue, insomnia, and anxiety as I transitioned to university.
While I entered the Fall term determined to succeed, the abstract and highly cumulative nature of CISC 102 proved to be more than I had expected. The specific prerequisite gaps in logical reasoning caused by my medical absence made it impossible to keep up with the weekly proof-based assignments. While I was able to maintain my grade in CISC 121 due to its more applied coding nature, the theoretical rigour of Discrete Mathematics was far too overwhelming.
Rationale for Missing the Deadline:
My failure to drop the course by the official November deadline was directly tied to the psychological distress documented in my medical checkup on November 19th. At that time, I was very fixated on improving my grade through isolation rather than recognizing that a withdrawal was the healthier option. This state of acute anxiety distracted me from the administrative drop deadline until it had passed.
Resolution & Plan for Success:
I have since recognized that attempting to overcome these prerequisite gaps without support was an unsustainable behavioral pattern. I have already made plans to seek guidance from academic advising at Mitchell Hall to structure my Winter term for success. Additionally, I am committed to using university resources, such as office hours provided by my in-term professors, and the School of Computing advising at the first sign of difficulty.
Thank you for your time and for considering my request.
Kind regards,
Vedesh Panday
Extenuating Circumstances & Academic Impact:
As documented in my successful petition for MATH 112 (submission #13783), I was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome in April 2025, which required emergency hospitalization and a month-long absence during the final stretch of Grade 12. This illness forced me to miss foundational concepts in discrete logic and proof-based thinking. Furthermore, my recovery involved intensive Prednisone treatment throughout the summer, which, while physically necessary, left me with lingering cognitive fatigue, insomnia, and anxiety as I transitioned to university.
While I entered the Fall term determined to succeed, the abstract and highly cumulative nature of CISC 102 proved to be more than I had expected. The specific prerequisite gaps in logical reasoning caused by my medical absence made it impossible to keep up with the weekly proof-based assignments. While I was able to maintain my grade in CISC 121 due to its more applied coding nature, the theoretical rigour of Discrete Mathematics was far too overwhelming.
Rationale for Missing the Deadline:
My failure to drop the course by the official November deadline was directly tied to the psychological distress documented in my medical checkup on November 19th. At that time, I was very fixated on improving my grade through isolation rather than recognizing that a withdrawal was the healthier option. This state of acute anxiety distracted me from the administrative drop deadline until it had passed.
Resolution & Plan for Success:
I have since recognized that attempting to overcome these prerequisite gaps without support was an unsustainable behavioral pattern. I have already made plans to seek guidance from academic advising at Mitchell Hall to structure my Winter term for success. Additionally, I am committed to using university resources, such as office hours provided by my in-term professors, and the School of Computing advising at the first sign of difficulty.
Thank you for your time and for considering my request.
Kind regards,
Vedesh Panday