Petition Letter
Sonya Patel
37 Ryland Terrace
Oakville, ON, L6J7R1
20017297
15sp90@queensu.ca
July 5, 2017
Associate Dean of Studies
Student Services
First Floor Dunning Hall
Dear Associate Dean of Studies,
I am appealing the Art and Science Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s for one year due to extenuating circumstances which were beyond my physical control that impacted my marks of my education. I am also appealing the 21 day appeal deadline due to official documentation that I received past the deadline because of the strenuous and time consuming visits to confirm diagnosis by medical professionals. I ask that while the appeal is under review, the ban on enrolling in courses for the upcoming school year is lifted in order to build my class schedule.
The justification for my appeal is due to my debilitating mental health and emotional stability throughout the 2016-2017 school year. Due to rising extreme panic attacks due anxiety issues, suicide ideation and attempts, general mental disarray due to my increase of Type 1 Diabetes struggles since entering university and family dynamics, my marks in my classes at Queen¿¿s University suffered. Due to university being a great change in one¿¿s life, I was not fully prepared to deal with the changes that would soon occur into my year such as the added stresses on my diabetes management, my stress management for maintaining stability for my panic attacks, all the while adjusting to living away from home, lacking the support system I had in place priorly. Due to my rising anxiety, and my concurrent perfectionism due to a result of certain family dynamics, if I fell behind on one assignment or got one bad mark, I would berate myself, which would further perpetuate my downward spiral of not performing my best on assignments, tests, and exams (I would have panic attacks during Calculus tests and had one during my final physics exam). These events occurred all year impacting my academic performance, and were further perpetuated by not having a support system into place to adjust for these changes, however, I have taken many steps to not ¿¿be living metaphorically on the edge¿. As soon as I, as well as others in my close circle, realized at what a disturbing point I was in my life and mental health at the end of March / early April, I was prodded to seek help with professionals, and yet I unfortunately still hesitated because of family dynamics, in which my family believed the whole matter to be ¿¿mind over matter¿ in order to get better. After another severe mental health emergency in the end of April, I sought help by initially visiting my family doctor and diabetes endocrinologist, who prescribed me medication to help with the panic attacks, referred me to mental health counselors, and is scheduling visits with me every six months in order to followup with my progress on the matter.
Should my appeal be hopefully granted, I have an academic plan already in progress to ensure this issue does not impede my academic performance again. I am taking slow steps in my academic standing while beginning treatment and counseling for my mental health issues. I am enrolled in three summer courses in order to raise my GPA while in a controlled setting to improve my diabetes management, as well as seek counseling to help my anxiety and panic attacks. I plan on taking a lighter course load; instead of five full year courses, I will take four during the school year in Kingston, and one full course over the summer at home to continue the standard five courses per year. This school year, I plan on taking a second general Art/Sci year in order to raise my GPA, manage my diabetes and mental health at school (self sustaining), and prepare for a three year program choice post-that. I will also continue to meet with mental health counselors, as well as register with Student Health Services, throughout the year in order to maintain my mental health stability while in a high stress environment. I plan on re-taking CHEM112 and BIOL102 during the school year, and PSYCH100 during the following summer in order to pursue a degree in Health Sciences, such as BioPsych, for which I am very passionate about. With this implementation, it will help me to adjust my management of my Type 1 Diabetes, as well as my anxiety first in a controlled setting (such as my home this summer), then at Queen¿¿s, while maintaining high academic standards.
I greatly appreciate your understanding and gratefulness in this matter, and I hope that I may be given a second chance to continue my studies at Queen¿¿s, as there were extenuating circumstances which were beyond my physical control that impacted my marks of my education. Thank you very much.
Sincerely yours,
Sonya Patel
20017297
37 Ryland Terrace
Oakville, ON, L6J7R1
20017297
15sp90@queensu.ca
July 5, 2017
Associate Dean of Studies
Student Services
First Floor Dunning Hall
Dear Associate Dean of Studies,
I am appealing the Art and Science Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s for one year due to extenuating circumstances which were beyond my physical control that impacted my marks of my education. I am also appealing the 21 day appeal deadline due to official documentation that I received past the deadline because of the strenuous and time consuming visits to confirm diagnosis by medical professionals. I ask that while the appeal is under review, the ban on enrolling in courses for the upcoming school year is lifted in order to build my class schedule.
The justification for my appeal is due to my debilitating mental health and emotional stability throughout the 2016-2017 school year. Due to rising extreme panic attacks due anxiety issues, suicide ideation and attempts, general mental disarray due to my increase of Type 1 Diabetes struggles since entering university and family dynamics, my marks in my classes at Queen¿¿s University suffered. Due to university being a great change in one¿¿s life, I was not fully prepared to deal with the changes that would soon occur into my year such as the added stresses on my diabetes management, my stress management for maintaining stability for my panic attacks, all the while adjusting to living away from home, lacking the support system I had in place priorly. Due to my rising anxiety, and my concurrent perfectionism due to a result of certain family dynamics, if I fell behind on one assignment or got one bad mark, I would berate myself, which would further perpetuate my downward spiral of not performing my best on assignments, tests, and exams (I would have panic attacks during Calculus tests and had one during my final physics exam). These events occurred all year impacting my academic performance, and were further perpetuated by not having a support system into place to adjust for these changes, however, I have taken many steps to not ¿¿be living metaphorically on the edge¿. As soon as I, as well as others in my close circle, realized at what a disturbing point I was in my life and mental health at the end of March / early April, I was prodded to seek help with professionals, and yet I unfortunately still hesitated because of family dynamics, in which my family believed the whole matter to be ¿¿mind over matter¿ in order to get better. After another severe mental health emergency in the end of April, I sought help by initially visiting my family doctor and diabetes endocrinologist, who prescribed me medication to help with the panic attacks, referred me to mental health counselors, and is scheduling visits with me every six months in order to followup with my progress on the matter.
Should my appeal be hopefully granted, I have an academic plan already in progress to ensure this issue does not impede my academic performance again. I am taking slow steps in my academic standing while beginning treatment and counseling for my mental health issues. I am enrolled in three summer courses in order to raise my GPA while in a controlled setting to improve my diabetes management, as well as seek counseling to help my anxiety and panic attacks. I plan on taking a lighter course load; instead of five full year courses, I will take four during the school year in Kingston, and one full course over the summer at home to continue the standard five courses per year. This school year, I plan on taking a second general Art/Sci year in order to raise my GPA, manage my diabetes and mental health at school (self sustaining), and prepare for a three year program choice post-that. I will also continue to meet with mental health counselors, as well as register with Student Health Services, throughout the year in order to maintain my mental health stability while in a high stress environment. I plan on re-taking CHEM112 and BIOL102 during the school year, and PSYCH100 during the following summer in order to pursue a degree in Health Sciences, such as BioPsych, for which I am very passionate about. With this implementation, it will help me to adjust my management of my Type 1 Diabetes, as well as my anxiety first in a controlled setting (such as my home this summer), then at Queen¿¿s, while maintaining high academic standards.
I greatly appreciate your understanding and gratefulness in this matter, and I hope that I may be given a second chance to continue my studies at Queen¿¿s, as there were extenuating circumstances which were beyond my physical control that impacted my marks of my education. Thank you very much.
Sincerely yours,
Sonya Patel
20017297