Petition Letter
Hi,
My name is Achini Perera and I am in second year sociology. My appeal is regarding the extenuating circumstances that came up for myself in the past two years. My first year at Queen's ended with a 1.57 GPA due to the difficult adjustment being away from home and the big jump from high school to university. I was an Ontario scholar and National cricket player so adjusting to the course load was not an issue, it was more about my support system that I was lacking. I was put on academic probation for 2nd year and was not mentally stable to start another semester away from home while living with housemates.
I got diagnosed with depression in June 2019 and took the initiative to ask my doctor what was best regarding my studies and how to get better. He put me on medication and informed me about stress factors and how they are a significant reason as to why I was losing weight, being less active, and avoiding my responsibilities. He told me that taking my time with my education and adjusting to the medication would be best for my overall health. In addition, my parents and I talked to an academic advisor (Kerri Andrews) regarding my options a few weeks before 2nd year began. We came to the decision to take a smaller course load while I still applied for York University which would be closer to home. Unfortunately, even with taking the small course load, my grades and motivation did not match to where I needed to be academically and mentally. I found myself going home most weekends to be with my family which I noticed, significantly boosted my mood.
My academic performance for this fall term was worse that my first year. I went to all of my classes, paying attention and taking notes for lectures and tutorials. I knew that my attendance wasn't the issue but it was more of the actual work that needed to be graded that was the most difficult to surpass. I found myself struggling to focus on my work before drifting off into a low mood or a break down because I felt I was alone and quite frankly, I was. I worried about the failing grades where I found myself isolating and disregarding the work I needed to do. I strongly believe that those fall grades do not reflect my intellect, but more of the struggle I had to go through.
I was accepted into York University psychology this December where my older brother, cousins and best friend from home also attend. They have all cared a significant amount to guide me through the transfer process and where to find information. I also visited my doctor to ask his input on whether I should transfer and he also recommended I go ahead and do so since the 4 months away from home also didn't go well. Therefore, I strongly believe that transferring is the decision for me mentally and physically. I¿¿d like to drop these courses so then my transcript can reflect my better marks. I greatly appreciate if this was possible.
Sincerely,
Achini Perera
My name is Achini Perera and I am in second year sociology. My appeal is regarding the extenuating circumstances that came up for myself in the past two years. My first year at Queen's ended with a 1.57 GPA due to the difficult adjustment being away from home and the big jump from high school to university. I was an Ontario scholar and National cricket player so adjusting to the course load was not an issue, it was more about my support system that I was lacking. I was put on academic probation for 2nd year and was not mentally stable to start another semester away from home while living with housemates.
I got diagnosed with depression in June 2019 and took the initiative to ask my doctor what was best regarding my studies and how to get better. He put me on medication and informed me about stress factors and how they are a significant reason as to why I was losing weight, being less active, and avoiding my responsibilities. He told me that taking my time with my education and adjusting to the medication would be best for my overall health. In addition, my parents and I talked to an academic advisor (Kerri Andrews) regarding my options a few weeks before 2nd year began. We came to the decision to take a smaller course load while I still applied for York University which would be closer to home. Unfortunately, even with taking the small course load, my grades and motivation did not match to where I needed to be academically and mentally. I found myself going home most weekends to be with my family which I noticed, significantly boosted my mood.
My academic performance for this fall term was worse that my first year. I went to all of my classes, paying attention and taking notes for lectures and tutorials. I knew that my attendance wasn't the issue but it was more of the actual work that needed to be graded that was the most difficult to surpass. I found myself struggling to focus on my work before drifting off into a low mood or a break down because I felt I was alone and quite frankly, I was. I worried about the failing grades where I found myself isolating and disregarding the work I needed to do. I strongly believe that those fall grades do not reflect my intellect, but more of the struggle I had to go through.
I was accepted into York University psychology this December where my older brother, cousins and best friend from home also attend. They have all cared a significant amount to guide me through the transfer process and where to find information. I also visited my doctor to ask his input on whether I should transfer and he also recommended I go ahead and do so since the 4 months away from home also didn't go well. Therefore, I strongly believe that transferring is the decision for me mentally and physically. I¿¿d like to drop these courses so then my transcript can reflect my better marks. I greatly appreciate if this was possible.
Sincerely,
Achini Perera