Petition Letter
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing an appeal for Aegrotat Standing in the course PSYC 271 that I took during the Summer 2020 semester.
On July 15, 2020, my closest friend and housemate at Queen¿¿s University passed away unexpectedly and suddenly due to a brain tumor. At the time, I was taking PSYC 271. I submitted a request for academic consideration under the bereavement category and I was granted a 2-week grace period, where I did not need to complete course work. Near the end of this 2-week period, I tried to get back to my course work; however, I was not able to focus. I found myself mindlessly taking notes, and when I tried to push myself to study for more than two hours a day, I would feel sad and unmotivated, and have a lack of interest in daily activities. I submitted a request for academic consideration under the personal category. I was granted a 3-month grace period, meaning that I would not have to write my exam until the end of September. This September, I have been seeing a Queen¿¿s counsellor, and I am continuing to see one. Counselling has been helpful in giving me a safe space to speak about my friend and my emotions, as well as learning how to continue living my life without my friend at my side.
I do not feel like I am able to study for or write my PSYC 271 exam. I am currently enrolled in five courses this term, and I feel like I am able to focus on them, as they are interesting, and I do not associate them with my friend. The PSYC 271 exam feels like a heavy weight that I am constantly carrying, and I really do not feel that I will be able to write it to the best of my ability due the strong association between it and my friend¿¿s passing. I am interested in receiving Aegrotat Standing in this course so that I can complete the course and have time and space to grieve and heal. I put a lot of work into it prior to my friend¿¿s passing and I believe that I would have done well in the course if it had not been for this tragic, unexpected event.
Kiley MacGowan
I am writing an appeal for Aegrotat Standing in the course PSYC 271 that I took during the Summer 2020 semester.
On July 15, 2020, my closest friend and housemate at Queen¿¿s University passed away unexpectedly and suddenly due to a brain tumor. At the time, I was taking PSYC 271. I submitted a request for academic consideration under the bereavement category and I was granted a 2-week grace period, where I did not need to complete course work. Near the end of this 2-week period, I tried to get back to my course work; however, I was not able to focus. I found myself mindlessly taking notes, and when I tried to push myself to study for more than two hours a day, I would feel sad and unmotivated, and have a lack of interest in daily activities. I submitted a request for academic consideration under the personal category. I was granted a 3-month grace period, meaning that I would not have to write my exam until the end of September. This September, I have been seeing a Queen¿¿s counsellor, and I am continuing to see one. Counselling has been helpful in giving me a safe space to speak about my friend and my emotions, as well as learning how to continue living my life without my friend at my side.
I do not feel like I am able to study for or write my PSYC 271 exam. I am currently enrolled in five courses this term, and I feel like I am able to focus on them, as they are interesting, and I do not associate them with my friend. The PSYC 271 exam feels like a heavy weight that I am constantly carrying, and I really do not feel that I will be able to write it to the best of my ability due the strong association between it and my friend¿¿s passing. I am interested in receiving Aegrotat Standing in this course so that I can complete the course and have time and space to grieve and heal. I put a lot of work into it prior to my friend¿¿s passing and I believe that I would have done well in the course if it had not been for this tragic, unexpected event.
Kiley MacGowan