Petition Letter
I am appealing the requirement to withdraw for one year due to a consistent GPA below 1.6. My purposes and reasons for appealing this requirement are threefold: I have been hindered academically with a mental illness that is difficult to cope with despite vigourous treatment, I have been improving academically and believe that this trend will continue, and finally I will continue to take positive actions towards academic success. Firstly, I suffer from an illness known as severe anxiety disorder caused by environmental and situational triggers (primarily academic, and specifically from evaluations) as well as suspected Borderline Personality Disorder, symptoms of which include mood swings, and an affected attention span, in addition to the anxiety - all these symptoms have played a negative role in my academic career. However, I have taken steps to learn how to cope with and manage these symptoms, including taking appropriate medication, seeking counselling through HCDS and ongoing self-care and self-awareness mechanisms. Secondly, although my GPA has not improved by much over the years, there has been an upward trend. Recently, I have been experiencing stress regarding the looming requirement to withdraw as I had expected this, and thus two of my courses from this year suffered due to that. However, I believe that upon continuing to pursue my academic study habits, that I will keep improving and show positive achievement. Lastly, in addition to taking steps forward academically, I have also been taking steps forward in my personal and extracurricular life as well - including volunteering and being a trainer for Telephone Aid Line Kingston, a non-profit crisis line, as well as through volunteering in a research lab this Summer, and finally, participating in Departmental Student Council as an Events Coordinator. I believe that these activities help, instead of hinder, my academic life as they improve my overall quality of life in terms of personal goals.