Petition Letter
I am writing this letter to respectfully request the withdrawal period be waived due to significant struggles throughout my university time, severely impacting my academic performance. Regardless of my attempts, these extenuating circumstances were largely beyond my control and had a significant influence on my ability to succeed.
My challenges began during first-year, when I sustained a serious concussion weeks before winter term examinations. As a result, I wrote my exams during the May deferral period while still experiencing strong concussion symptoms. The physical and mental effects of the injury significantly impaired my ability to study, retain information, focus and successfully complete the exams to my full potential. Almost all of my courses in first-year were full-year credit courses, which meant the impaired grades had a substantial impact on my GPA and placed me in a difficult academic position to recover from.
Following my concussion, I faced substantial struggles with my mental health. I battled severe anxiety and depression and was also coping with the ongoing effects of a previously diagnosed eating disorder. While I was continuously trying to focus on my academics and regain better academic standing, my mental health difficulties increasingly affected my concentration, motivation, energy levels, and ability to participate or engage fully in my coursework.
During this period, throughout my second year, my living situation turned into a hostile environment, adding to the emotional toll I was experiencing with my mental health. I was isolated, experienced ongoing passive-aggressive behaviour and quite frankly bullied by my roommates. While trying to stay afloat, it resulted in me isolating myself to my room and only leaving when no one else was home to avoid confrontation. This environment significantly worsened my anxiety and depression at a time when I was already struggling.
The impact on my mental health became severe. I experienced intense anxiety that made everyday activities, including leaving my room and attending classes, extremely difficult. I suffered frequent panic attacks, persistent sleep disruption, and a significant loss of appetite. At my lowest point, the chronic stress and anxiety contributed to stress-induced hallucinations. Although I was struggling and at my lowest point, I felt ashamed of myself and found it extremely difficult to seek help or communicate the extent of my difficulties to others. As a result, many of these challenges took up my day-to-day life while my academic performance continued to decline.
Throughout this time, I tried very hard to remain focused on school and improve my academic standing. I did not stop caring about my education or my future, and had added anxiety about my class work and feeling like a failure. However, the combination of my poor mental health, an unstable and toxic living environment, and chronic sleep deprivation created a battle that I was ultimately unable to overcome on my own. By the time I was able to fully recognize the severity of my situation, I had already faced substantial academic setbacks.
Over the past year, I have begun taking meaningful and consistent steps to tackle these challenges. I have sought out professional support and have been attending therapy on a biweekly basis. I have also started treatment with medication to manage my anxiety and depression and have been working actively on improving my sleep through structured sleep training. Strategies I have learned and consistent treatment have allowed me to better understand my mental health, develop coping strategies, and establish support systems that I had previously been missing.
In addition, the circumstances that contributed to much of my distress are no longer being managed alone. I now have professional mental health support, medical treatment, as well as a deeper insight of how to recognize and respond to worsening symptoms before they become overwhelming. I have found a quiet, calm, and academically focused household and have found new relationships with similar goals and good character to surround myself with. This will be one of the most important driving forces to success in continuing my education. As well, I have learned the importance of seeking help early and utilizing available resources rather than attempting to manage serious challenges independently. Along with a recommended treatment plan to support my mental health, I believe and am determined to succeed going forward.
I truthfully recognize the seriousness of my academic record and take full responsibility for my education. However, I respectfully ask the Committee to consider the substantial impact that extenuating circumstances played in my academic difficulties. My concussion, severe mental health challenges, and hostile living environment created barriers that substantially impaired my ability to succeed academically despite my genuine efforts.
I am deeply committed to completing my degree and believe that the treatment, support systems, and coping strategies I have now established place me in a much stronger position to achieve academic success moving forward.
My challenges began during first-year, when I sustained a serious concussion weeks before winter term examinations. As a result, I wrote my exams during the May deferral period while still experiencing strong concussion symptoms. The physical and mental effects of the injury significantly impaired my ability to study, retain information, focus and successfully complete the exams to my full potential. Almost all of my courses in first-year were full-year credit courses, which meant the impaired grades had a substantial impact on my GPA and placed me in a difficult academic position to recover from.
Following my concussion, I faced substantial struggles with my mental health. I battled severe anxiety and depression and was also coping with the ongoing effects of a previously diagnosed eating disorder. While I was continuously trying to focus on my academics and regain better academic standing, my mental health difficulties increasingly affected my concentration, motivation, energy levels, and ability to participate or engage fully in my coursework.
During this period, throughout my second year, my living situation turned into a hostile environment, adding to the emotional toll I was experiencing with my mental health. I was isolated, experienced ongoing passive-aggressive behaviour and quite frankly bullied by my roommates. While trying to stay afloat, it resulted in me isolating myself to my room and only leaving when no one else was home to avoid confrontation. This environment significantly worsened my anxiety and depression at a time when I was already struggling.
The impact on my mental health became severe. I experienced intense anxiety that made everyday activities, including leaving my room and attending classes, extremely difficult. I suffered frequent panic attacks, persistent sleep disruption, and a significant loss of appetite. At my lowest point, the chronic stress and anxiety contributed to stress-induced hallucinations. Although I was struggling and at my lowest point, I felt ashamed of myself and found it extremely difficult to seek help or communicate the extent of my difficulties to others. As a result, many of these challenges took up my day-to-day life while my academic performance continued to decline.
Throughout this time, I tried very hard to remain focused on school and improve my academic standing. I did not stop caring about my education or my future, and had added anxiety about my class work and feeling like a failure. However, the combination of my poor mental health, an unstable and toxic living environment, and chronic sleep deprivation created a battle that I was ultimately unable to overcome on my own. By the time I was able to fully recognize the severity of my situation, I had already faced substantial academic setbacks.
Over the past year, I have begun taking meaningful and consistent steps to tackle these challenges. I have sought out professional support and have been attending therapy on a biweekly basis. I have also started treatment with medication to manage my anxiety and depression and have been working actively on improving my sleep through structured sleep training. Strategies I have learned and consistent treatment have allowed me to better understand my mental health, develop coping strategies, and establish support systems that I had previously been missing.
In addition, the circumstances that contributed to much of my distress are no longer being managed alone. I now have professional mental health support, medical treatment, as well as a deeper insight of how to recognize and respond to worsening symptoms before they become overwhelming. I have found a quiet, calm, and academically focused household and have found new relationships with similar goals and good character to surround myself with. This will be one of the most important driving forces to success in continuing my education. As well, I have learned the importance of seeking help early and utilizing available resources rather than attempting to manage serious challenges independently. Along with a recommended treatment plan to support my mental health, I believe and am determined to succeed going forward.
I truthfully recognize the seriousness of my academic record and take full responsibility for my education. However, I respectfully ask the Committee to consider the substantial impact that extenuating circumstances played in my academic difficulties. My concussion, severe mental health challenges, and hostile living environment created barriers that substantially impaired my ability to succeed academically despite my genuine efforts.
I am deeply committed to completing my degree and believe that the treatment, support systems, and coping strategies I have now established place me in a much stronger position to achieve academic success moving forward.