Academic Plan
3 December 2016
If granted permission to return to Queen¿¿s to continue my studies, I intend to continue pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. I have investigated completing the degree online through Continuing and Distance Studies. I would like to resume my studies with a partial course load, starting with two or three courses. I would like to begin with PSYC 251 ¿¿ Developmental Psychology as well as PSYC 241 ¿¿ Social Psychology. These are two courses that I have taken in the past, but I would like to retake in order to raise my grades. I would also consider supplementing these two with a third course, an elective that I have not yet decided upon conclusively. I would be willing to take courses through the Spring and Summer terms as well to facilitate a constant pace of continuing my studies and to make up for the lighter course load. I have also considered registering for PSYC 100 during the Spring/Summer term in order to refresh myself on some of the introductory course material.
I have spent the past six years working full-time, but in 2017 I intend to scale that back to part-time employment in order to allow ample time to complete a partial course load successfully. Any difficulties I have I will immediately reach out for assistance and ensure I comprehend all expectations with clarity. I will set aside a portion of every day to accomplish some course work, and avoid procrastination by reminding myself that I have endured some tough issues, and if given a second chance to succeed I will not let myself down again. If I am able to continue my studies through Continuing and Distance Studies, I will have the support of my fiancée to help me stay positive and focus on my education.
During my tenure at Queen¿¿s, there were times that I was making good progress with the course content. However, the ability to focus and concentrate was often fleeting and as a result my grades reflected my poor preparation. I plan to retake some of the core courses that are prerequisites of upper-year classes in order to ensure my understanding of the material is accurate and fresh. I will begin with a light course load in order to ease my way back into studies, and if I find myself having difficulties of any kind, I will pursue assistance rather than ignore the issues as I had done in the past. Through my full-time employment over the past six years, I have developed excellent time management skills which allow me to maximize my productivity and achieve desirable results within deadlines. Since being asked to withdraw from Queen¿¿s, I have taken leadership and management courses through my place of employment that have allowed me to enhance my study skills and exam techniques. I have also had the opportunity to give several presentations which has boosted my confidence and helped alleviate some of the anxiety that used to hinder my social output.
I found the subject matter in all of my psychology courses to be very stimulating. I initially came to Queen¿¿s to study History and English, however my passion for Psychology began immediately during my first term with the introductory PSYC 100 courses I was enrolled in. I still find myself captivated by articles in the fields of psychology and sociology, and I look forward to returning to studies in order to further my knowledge. My failure to attend classes and complete coursework was not a result of a disinterest in the content; instead it was a consequence of anxiety and depression that created an agoraphobic mentality in which I had difficulty escaping. The six-year break from post-secondary studies has proven quite fruitful. I have been able to stabilize my mental health through the help of my family and the assistance of my family doctor, as well as regain my productivity and self-confidence in my abilities.
When I first attended Queen¿¿s at the age of 18, I felt I was ready to tackle the world. In reality, the world unpredictably had tackled me. In the eleven years since I began university, I have experienced some extreme low points in my life, but I have become much stronger of an individual and learned a lot from any mistakes. Anxiety and depression no longer dictate the path of my life. I¿¿m motivated, driven to succeed and have excelled in the professional field of retail management as a result. I have saved money over the past few years and I am financially prepared to reintegrate myself into Queen¿¿s and complete my degree.
The anxiety that I experienced during my tenure at Queen¿¿s was crippling at the time. I experienced paranoia and agoraphobia when I ventured outside of my residence or house, and I was incapable of dealing with crowds of people. This caused me to become reclusive and live a lifestyle of avoidance, which was not conducive to attending classes. Feeling incapable of leaving the house to interact with the outside world worsened the depression I was experiencing, and it felt like a downward spiral. I failed to heed the advice of counsellors, and instead chose to self-medicate myself with alcohol and marijuana, which helped me to feel more capable of being social, but left me incapable of completing school-related tasks.
Once I left Kingston and returned home, I began to change my lifestyle and mend the issues I was experiencing. A visit with my family doctor allowed me to get some perspective on how poorly I was dealing with my issues. I was prescribed SSRIs to help me overcome my anxiety and depression.
Once I became employed, I used the fresh start as an opportunity to redirect my energy towards doing the best I could and prove my capability. I was promoted to full time within 8 months and again promoted to a supervisor role within my first year. This was an extreme confidence boost and I was once again able to face situations that would have left me anxiety-stricken a mere year prior.
I have redeveloped my responsibility and accountability that were lost during the majority of my time at Queen¿¿s. I have developed and strengthened skills through my occupation as a retail supervisor/manager that will be vital towards succeeding in my studies going forward. I have established admirable interpersonal skills and leadership ability, and no longer feel anxiety above and beyond what would be considered typical. I am asking to be granted this opportunity to prove myself of one day being able to hold the honour of being a Queen¿¿s alumnus.
If granted permission to return to Queen¿¿s to continue my studies, I intend to continue pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. I have investigated completing the degree online through Continuing and Distance Studies. I would like to resume my studies with a partial course load, starting with two or three courses. I would like to begin with PSYC 251 ¿¿ Developmental Psychology as well as PSYC 241 ¿¿ Social Psychology. These are two courses that I have taken in the past, but I would like to retake in order to raise my grades. I would also consider supplementing these two with a third course, an elective that I have not yet decided upon conclusively. I would be willing to take courses through the Spring and Summer terms as well to facilitate a constant pace of continuing my studies and to make up for the lighter course load. I have also considered registering for PSYC 100 during the Spring/Summer term in order to refresh myself on some of the introductory course material.
I have spent the past six years working full-time, but in 2017 I intend to scale that back to part-time employment in order to allow ample time to complete a partial course load successfully. Any difficulties I have I will immediately reach out for assistance and ensure I comprehend all expectations with clarity. I will set aside a portion of every day to accomplish some course work, and avoid procrastination by reminding myself that I have endured some tough issues, and if given a second chance to succeed I will not let myself down again. If I am able to continue my studies through Continuing and Distance Studies, I will have the support of my fiancée to help me stay positive and focus on my education.
During my tenure at Queen¿¿s, there were times that I was making good progress with the course content. However, the ability to focus and concentrate was often fleeting and as a result my grades reflected my poor preparation. I plan to retake some of the core courses that are prerequisites of upper-year classes in order to ensure my understanding of the material is accurate and fresh. I will begin with a light course load in order to ease my way back into studies, and if I find myself having difficulties of any kind, I will pursue assistance rather than ignore the issues as I had done in the past. Through my full-time employment over the past six years, I have developed excellent time management skills which allow me to maximize my productivity and achieve desirable results within deadlines. Since being asked to withdraw from Queen¿¿s, I have taken leadership and management courses through my place of employment that have allowed me to enhance my study skills and exam techniques. I have also had the opportunity to give several presentations which has boosted my confidence and helped alleviate some of the anxiety that used to hinder my social output.
I found the subject matter in all of my psychology courses to be very stimulating. I initially came to Queen¿¿s to study History and English, however my passion for Psychology began immediately during my first term with the introductory PSYC 100 courses I was enrolled in. I still find myself captivated by articles in the fields of psychology and sociology, and I look forward to returning to studies in order to further my knowledge. My failure to attend classes and complete coursework was not a result of a disinterest in the content; instead it was a consequence of anxiety and depression that created an agoraphobic mentality in which I had difficulty escaping. The six-year break from post-secondary studies has proven quite fruitful. I have been able to stabilize my mental health through the help of my family and the assistance of my family doctor, as well as regain my productivity and self-confidence in my abilities.
When I first attended Queen¿¿s at the age of 18, I felt I was ready to tackle the world. In reality, the world unpredictably had tackled me. In the eleven years since I began university, I have experienced some extreme low points in my life, but I have become much stronger of an individual and learned a lot from any mistakes. Anxiety and depression no longer dictate the path of my life. I¿¿m motivated, driven to succeed and have excelled in the professional field of retail management as a result. I have saved money over the past few years and I am financially prepared to reintegrate myself into Queen¿¿s and complete my degree.
The anxiety that I experienced during my tenure at Queen¿¿s was crippling at the time. I experienced paranoia and agoraphobia when I ventured outside of my residence or house, and I was incapable of dealing with crowds of people. This caused me to become reclusive and live a lifestyle of avoidance, which was not conducive to attending classes. Feeling incapable of leaving the house to interact with the outside world worsened the depression I was experiencing, and it felt like a downward spiral. I failed to heed the advice of counsellors, and instead chose to self-medicate myself with alcohol and marijuana, which helped me to feel more capable of being social, but left me incapable of completing school-related tasks.
Once I left Kingston and returned home, I began to change my lifestyle and mend the issues I was experiencing. A visit with my family doctor allowed me to get some perspective on how poorly I was dealing with my issues. I was prescribed SSRIs to help me overcome my anxiety and depression.
Once I became employed, I used the fresh start as an opportunity to redirect my energy towards doing the best I could and prove my capability. I was promoted to full time within 8 months and again promoted to a supervisor role within my first year. This was an extreme confidence boost and I was once again able to face situations that would have left me anxiety-stricken a mere year prior.
I have redeveloped my responsibility and accountability that were lost during the majority of my time at Queen¿¿s. I have developed and strengthened skills through my occupation as a retail supervisor/manager that will be vital towards succeeding in my studies going forward. I have established admirable interpersonal skills and leadership ability, and no longer feel anxiety above and beyond what would be considered typical. I am asking to be granted this opportunity to prove myself of one day being able to hold the honour of being a Queen¿¿s alumnus.