Petition Letter
To whom it may concern,
I am writing this letter to appeal for an extension of an IN mark in STAT263 taken in the summer term 2015, and MATH121 taken in the fall/winter term 2014-2015. I have been in a constant battle with depression and anxiety since 2013, and that battle comes with long, frequent peaks and short valleys. My grades showed I had been doing well in both courses, however it was a genuine struggle for me to perform to the best of my abilities. During a particularly brutal semester in winter 2015, I was having panic attacks and mental breakdowns in waves in the time leading up to and during exam season. I felt worthless and generally terrible and I couldn't concentrate on anything I was doing, even though I knew much of the material previously. After a particularly bad night, I spoke with Prof. Ableson and he allowed me to defer the final exam until the beginning of fall semester 2015. I figured I would get better naturally as summer started but I was wrong. I encountered all of the same issues in my summer 2015 STAT263 course, and with the added stressors of jobs and a failing relationship, I was crumbling. I wasn't getting better and I didn't know what to do. I completed one course however I spoke with Prof. Molson and he also allowed me to defer my exam until the beginning of fall semester 2015. I had been speaking with doctors about my condition and the way I felt but I would inexplicably downplay my feelings. It's hard to say why, most likely out of embarrassment or pride or just the fear somebody might think I was lying. I felt like I was making excuses for myself and that everybody must feel this way and that I just needed to soldier on and ignore it. Naturally, as I sugar-coated the truth about how I felt and didn't open up, doctors couldn't really do much for me. It was a stupid thing to do, and ignoring it is probably not the best way to treat mental health. As school started this year, I still felt constantly terrible and nothing I was doing was working for me. I was in no position to write the deferred exams and I was falling behind in every single class. I decided I actually needed to open up completely about how I feel to somebody. Last week I went to see my doctor in Toronto and I've been corresponding regularly with him. I will soon start taking medication as well as meeting with a local counselor to make sure I'm doing okay. I've been losing a long battle with myself but I want to get better. It was incredibly hard to open up and I put off getting help for so long but I want to be the student and person I know I can and should be.
Thank you for your understanding,
Baiden McCallum
I am writing this letter to appeal for an extension of an IN mark in STAT263 taken in the summer term 2015, and MATH121 taken in the fall/winter term 2014-2015. I have been in a constant battle with depression and anxiety since 2013, and that battle comes with long, frequent peaks and short valleys. My grades showed I had been doing well in both courses, however it was a genuine struggle for me to perform to the best of my abilities. During a particularly brutal semester in winter 2015, I was having panic attacks and mental breakdowns in waves in the time leading up to and during exam season. I felt worthless and generally terrible and I couldn't concentrate on anything I was doing, even though I knew much of the material previously. After a particularly bad night, I spoke with Prof. Ableson and he allowed me to defer the final exam until the beginning of fall semester 2015. I figured I would get better naturally as summer started but I was wrong. I encountered all of the same issues in my summer 2015 STAT263 course, and with the added stressors of jobs and a failing relationship, I was crumbling. I wasn't getting better and I didn't know what to do. I completed one course however I spoke with Prof. Molson and he also allowed me to defer my exam until the beginning of fall semester 2015. I had been speaking with doctors about my condition and the way I felt but I would inexplicably downplay my feelings. It's hard to say why, most likely out of embarrassment or pride or just the fear somebody might think I was lying. I felt like I was making excuses for myself and that everybody must feel this way and that I just needed to soldier on and ignore it. Naturally, as I sugar-coated the truth about how I felt and didn't open up, doctors couldn't really do much for me. It was a stupid thing to do, and ignoring it is probably not the best way to treat mental health. As school started this year, I still felt constantly terrible and nothing I was doing was working for me. I was in no position to write the deferred exams and I was falling behind in every single class. I decided I actually needed to open up completely about how I feel to somebody. Last week I went to see my doctor in Toronto and I've been corresponding regularly with him. I will soon start taking medication as well as meeting with a local counselor to make sure I'm doing okay. I've been losing a long battle with myself but I want to get better. It was incredibly hard to open up and I put off getting help for so long but I want to be the student and person I know I can and should be.
Thank you for your understanding,
Baiden McCallum