Petition Letter
To the Associate Dean of Studies,
I am appealing to get an extension on the Incomplete Grade from DEVS 492. I took the course in Fall 2017.
Explanation of Extenuating Circumstance
In the fall semester of 2017 I went through a prolonged period of depression. Beginning in October, I experienced a lack of motivation and appetite. I withdrew from social circles, activities, and even classes. I did not hand in any course work that wasn¿¿t absolutely necessary and had difficulty completing the assignments on time. I was unable to complete m DEVS 492 take home exam (I only answered questions) by the deadline. I also did not complete the final DEVS 492 essay, along with another final essay for DEVS 340 (irrelevant to this appeal). In short, my depression impeded me from having a normal daily routine, let alone completing assigned school work.
In November I consulted Dr. Borins at Queen¿¿s Health and Wellness Services about my inability to concentrate and lack of motivation. After multiple appointments I was diagnosed with depression and moderate anxiety. I was then prescribed Wellbutrin to help mitigate with the immediate effects of depression and anxiety. I began taking the medication on December 23 but they take 3-4 weeks to take effect.
The following semester (Winter 2018) I was referred to Whitney in Queen¿¿s counseling services as well as Tess Grant, an occupational therapist with Queen¿¿s. Whitney helped me unpack the underlying causes of my depression and showed me some coping strategies for the anxiety attacks I experienced periodically. Tess helped me formulate a study plan and facilitated appointments with Academic Advisors to get back on track and get the credits I still need to graduate.
To go on a slight tangent, the reason I lack so many credits is because I experienced a similar depressive period while on academic exchange second semester of my third year abroad. The result being I did not receive any credits for that semester.
Jumping back to winter semester 2018, I had a rough adjustment period in the beginning of the semester, as I dropped all 5 courses I initially had enrolled in in August in favour of 4 different ones that were degree requirements. Since I picked up the courses at the end of add/drop period, I was already 2 weeks behind in all 4 of my courses. I began to feel overwhelmed with the task of catching up with missed work and keeping up with current readings for two fourth-year seminar courses (and two other courses) in addition to re-stabilizing and regulating my mood and wellbeing.
My work began to pile up and I struggled meeting deadlines for winter 2018 courses. I had to put DEVS 492 on the back burner so I could focus on my winter assignments, namely two twenty-page seminar papers, on ten-page politics paper, and a statistics lab.
Future Plan
I plan to complete this essay over the summer in my hometown of Ottawa. I will continue regular meetings with my family doctor as well as see a counselor in Ottawa. I believe being at home will help my mood and instill a sense of routine back into my life.
This semester I took a lighter course load and it helped alleviate stress. I believe over the summer I will have enough time to devote to completing the final essay of DEVS 492. I will have 18 credits to complete before I graduate and I plan to split these between two semesters so the work load will be manageable.
Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.
Regards,
Tian Butler
I am appealing to get an extension on the Incomplete Grade from DEVS 492. I took the course in Fall 2017.
Explanation of Extenuating Circumstance
In the fall semester of 2017 I went through a prolonged period of depression. Beginning in October, I experienced a lack of motivation and appetite. I withdrew from social circles, activities, and even classes. I did not hand in any course work that wasn¿¿t absolutely necessary and had difficulty completing the assignments on time. I was unable to complete m DEVS 492 take home exam (I only answered questions) by the deadline. I also did not complete the final DEVS 492 essay, along with another final essay for DEVS 340 (irrelevant to this appeal). In short, my depression impeded me from having a normal daily routine, let alone completing assigned school work.
In November I consulted Dr. Borins at Queen¿¿s Health and Wellness Services about my inability to concentrate and lack of motivation. After multiple appointments I was diagnosed with depression and moderate anxiety. I was then prescribed Wellbutrin to help mitigate with the immediate effects of depression and anxiety. I began taking the medication on December 23 but they take 3-4 weeks to take effect.
The following semester (Winter 2018) I was referred to Whitney in Queen¿¿s counseling services as well as Tess Grant, an occupational therapist with Queen¿¿s. Whitney helped me unpack the underlying causes of my depression and showed me some coping strategies for the anxiety attacks I experienced periodically. Tess helped me formulate a study plan and facilitated appointments with Academic Advisors to get back on track and get the credits I still need to graduate.
To go on a slight tangent, the reason I lack so many credits is because I experienced a similar depressive period while on academic exchange second semester of my third year abroad. The result being I did not receive any credits for that semester.
Jumping back to winter semester 2018, I had a rough adjustment period in the beginning of the semester, as I dropped all 5 courses I initially had enrolled in in August in favour of 4 different ones that were degree requirements. Since I picked up the courses at the end of add/drop period, I was already 2 weeks behind in all 4 of my courses. I began to feel overwhelmed with the task of catching up with missed work and keeping up with current readings for two fourth-year seminar courses (and two other courses) in addition to re-stabilizing and regulating my mood and wellbeing.
My work began to pile up and I struggled meeting deadlines for winter 2018 courses. I had to put DEVS 492 on the back burner so I could focus on my winter assignments, namely two twenty-page seminar papers, on ten-page politics paper, and a statistics lab.
Future Plan
I plan to complete this essay over the summer in my hometown of Ottawa. I will continue regular meetings with my family doctor as well as see a counselor in Ottawa. I believe being at home will help my mood and instill a sense of routine back into my life.
This semester I took a lighter course load and it helped alleviate stress. I believe over the summer I will have enough time to devote to completing the final essay of DEVS 492. I will have 18 credits to complete before I graduate and I plan to split these between two semesters so the work load will be manageable.
Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.
Regards,
Tian Butler