Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Bénard,
I am writing to you to request permission to take classes away from Queen¿¿s on an international letter of permission. I would like to first tell you why I wish to study abroad and then I will explain my academic plan.
Studying abroad would give me the opportunity to see the world and myself in an entirely new way. It would give me the opportunity to challenge myself and feed my curiosity, exploring what lies outside my bubble. After being rejected for the bilateral exchange program during my second year, I was determined to organize my own Independent Study Abroad plan for the Winter Semester of 2017; however, my concussion (March 2016) changed things. During the summer and even the fall following my concussion, I was in pain, unmotivated and too mentally exhausted to even plan and complete daily tasks. This made study abroad seem entirely unattainable at the time. While I regret not pushing myself to figure out a plan for this year, I also realize how important it was for me to prioritize the recovery of my mind and body. My lifestyle was and continues to be drastically altered. However, I do cherish the time my concussion gave me to reflect on who I am now and who I want to be in the future. I realized how caught I was in a ¿¿what¿¿s next¿ mentality, giving myself little physical or mental space to breath and enjoy the present. While there are many negative consequences to concussions, in my case it allowed me to truly stop and spend time with myself, which I think people rarely get the chance to do. I would like to take this new perspective and apply it to an experience abroad, allowing me to further challenge myself and take time to live and learn in the moment. I would be incredibly grateful to be given the opportunity to study in New Zealand next semester, specifically the University of Otago or the University of Canterbury, and I would make it my goal to live in the present, continue to feed my curiosity, and to learn even more about myself.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application.
I am writing to you to request permission to take classes away from Queen¿¿s on an international letter of permission. I would like to first tell you why I wish to study abroad and then I will explain my academic plan.
Studying abroad would give me the opportunity to see the world and myself in an entirely new way. It would give me the opportunity to challenge myself and feed my curiosity, exploring what lies outside my bubble. After being rejected for the bilateral exchange program during my second year, I was determined to organize my own Independent Study Abroad plan for the Winter Semester of 2017; however, my concussion (March 2016) changed things. During the summer and even the fall following my concussion, I was in pain, unmotivated and too mentally exhausted to even plan and complete daily tasks. This made study abroad seem entirely unattainable at the time. While I regret not pushing myself to figure out a plan for this year, I also realize how important it was for me to prioritize the recovery of my mind and body. My lifestyle was and continues to be drastically altered. However, I do cherish the time my concussion gave me to reflect on who I am now and who I want to be in the future. I realized how caught I was in a ¿¿what¿¿s next¿ mentality, giving myself little physical or mental space to breath and enjoy the present. While there are many negative consequences to concussions, in my case it allowed me to truly stop and spend time with myself, which I think people rarely get the chance to do. I would like to take this new perspective and apply it to an experience abroad, allowing me to further challenge myself and take time to live and learn in the moment. I would be incredibly grateful to be given the opportunity to study in New Zealand next semester, specifically the University of Otago or the University of Canterbury, and I would make it my goal to live in the present, continue to feed my curiosity, and to learn even more about myself.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my application.