Petition Letter
Re: Petition for Required to Withdraw from Faculty of Arts and Science for One Year
I am writing to petition the Faculty of Arts and Science regarding the decision requiring me to withdraw for one year effective May 1, 2026, On the grounds of extenuating circumstances. That significantly affected my academic performance.
During my first year at Queens University, I struggled considerably with the transition to university life. While I was excited to begin my studies and have the university experience. I found myself lacking motivation and feeling overwhelmed by the increased independence and responsibility that university requires. As the semester progressed I began to miss classes and become more withdrawn. The more coursework I fell behind on the harder it became to catch up and address my issues. I struggled with initiating and completing tasks, which led to a cycle of avoidance, increased stress, and academic struggles.
As a result I performed very poorly during the fall semester due to missing assignments, inadequate preparation, and poor exam performance. By the end of the semester it had become clear to me that I needed to make large changes to my approach to academics and personal-well being.
Additionally I have an ADHD diagnosis with supporting documentation which may have contributed to struggles with task initiation and distraction. I have never seeked support for both ADHD and general support as I have always been hesitant to reach out first and tended to bottle up my struggles and handle them on my own, however that approach did not work and going forward I will make full use of any academic support available to me.
Lately I have been taking steps to address these challenges, I started counselling June 9, and have bought a book about ADHD that was recommended to me by a professional called Scattered Minds, I have also been developing strategies the work for me such as daily journaling, goal setting ,and using To-Do lists to help with prioritization and time management.
I plan to register for academic accommodations through the student accessibility services so that I can access the support and resources available to students. I am committed to using these services as soon as I encounter difficulties rather than waiting for these issues to become overwhelming.
I am currently enrolled in three summer courses: Math 121, Econ 111, and Econ 112, which have given me an opportunity to rebuild my academic habits and work ethic. While I am still improving and have not performed perfectly, I have made meaningful progress in maintaining a consistent study routine, managing my responsibilities and maintaining a healthy school-life balance. When I consistently apply the strategies I have been working on, school becomes much more manageable and I struggle less with task paralysis.
If permitted to return to my studies, I will continue counselling, register and make use of academic accommodations, maintain structured organizational systems, and access student support services whenever I encounter difficulties. I have learned the importance of seeking help early before issues become overwhelming. Outside of school I have been exploring interests and working on myself. I have started growing ghost peppers, practicing bass guitar, reading and going to the gym. My goal is to be 1% better every week.
I take full responsibility for my academic performance this year. While I cannot change the past, the outcome of the past year. I am committed to learning from my mistakes and demonstrating that I can succeed academically. I respectfully ask the Faculty to consider my petition and grant me the opportunity to continue my studies and show the progress that I have made and how I have learned from my mistakes.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Sincerely,
Emmett Stark
I am writing to petition the Faculty of Arts and Science regarding the decision requiring me to withdraw for one year effective May 1, 2026, On the grounds of extenuating circumstances. That significantly affected my academic performance.
During my first year at Queens University, I struggled considerably with the transition to university life. While I was excited to begin my studies and have the university experience. I found myself lacking motivation and feeling overwhelmed by the increased independence and responsibility that university requires. As the semester progressed I began to miss classes and become more withdrawn. The more coursework I fell behind on the harder it became to catch up and address my issues. I struggled with initiating and completing tasks, which led to a cycle of avoidance, increased stress, and academic struggles.
As a result I performed very poorly during the fall semester due to missing assignments, inadequate preparation, and poor exam performance. By the end of the semester it had become clear to me that I needed to make large changes to my approach to academics and personal-well being.
Additionally I have an ADHD diagnosis with supporting documentation which may have contributed to struggles with task initiation and distraction. I have never seeked support for both ADHD and general support as I have always been hesitant to reach out first and tended to bottle up my struggles and handle them on my own, however that approach did not work and going forward I will make full use of any academic support available to me.
Lately I have been taking steps to address these challenges, I started counselling June 9, and have bought a book about ADHD that was recommended to me by a professional called Scattered Minds, I have also been developing strategies the work for me such as daily journaling, goal setting ,and using To-Do lists to help with prioritization and time management.
I plan to register for academic accommodations through the student accessibility services so that I can access the support and resources available to students. I am committed to using these services as soon as I encounter difficulties rather than waiting for these issues to become overwhelming.
I am currently enrolled in three summer courses: Math 121, Econ 111, and Econ 112, which have given me an opportunity to rebuild my academic habits and work ethic. While I am still improving and have not performed perfectly, I have made meaningful progress in maintaining a consistent study routine, managing my responsibilities and maintaining a healthy school-life balance. When I consistently apply the strategies I have been working on, school becomes much more manageable and I struggle less with task paralysis.
If permitted to return to my studies, I will continue counselling, register and make use of academic accommodations, maintain structured organizational systems, and access student support services whenever I encounter difficulties. I have learned the importance of seeking help early before issues become overwhelming. Outside of school I have been exploring interests and working on myself. I have started growing ghost peppers, practicing bass guitar, reading and going to the gym. My goal is to be 1% better every week.
I take full responsibility for my academic performance this year. While I cannot change the past, the outcome of the past year. I am committed to learning from my mistakes and demonstrating that I can succeed academically. I respectfully ask the Faculty to consider my petition and grant me the opportunity to continue my studies and show the progress that I have made and how I have learned from my mistakes.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Sincerely,
Emmett Stark