Academic Plan
Academic Plan
A. Focus ¿¿ Economics Degree (BAH)
B. Expectations ¿¿ Higher performance in classes, better management of workload and preventing pitfalls that led to subpar performance previously
C. Strategies ¿¿ Address mental struggles, create stability and rigidity to maintain focus and performance throughout the year, utilize resources at Queen¿¿s that I did not know about and/or take advantage of
Components of the Plan Considered Questions and Current Situation
A. Course of Study 1. Shadowing Economics Degree
2. Requirements - must increase GPA to above 1.6 to be automatically accepted into Economics Major
B. Course Load 1. Full time student
2. Will discuss the best courses to focus on with academic advisor but the goal is to go into second year on track and prepared by using this plan
C. Strategies for Success 1. Challenges encountered ¿¿ Difficulty maintaining strong academic focus throughout the year, mental health/struggles, personal losses, lack of consistent place to live, being at home, Covid-19 and resulting difficulties
2. Plan to address those challenges ¿¿ Focusing the summer on those skills as well as further challenging myself intellectually especially in the field I intend to study through my summer internship (which I sought out to start getting things back on track), and potentially taking a Queen's, Coursera, or other university level courses this summer (should that be supported by my academic advisor) and utilizing available resources; I have a secured lease in Kingston so instability on where I live will not be an issue, and am now fully vaccinated as well as physically recovered from the effects resulting from my contraction of Covid-19 during school, and have started meeting with a therapist
3. Skills to move forward ¿¿ Learning to address mental struggles, creating short-term goals and plans to be aware of all assignments and get them done proactively to prevent any procrastination and preventing work overload
4. Resources I plan to employ ¿¿ Queen¿¿s mental health services/the therapist I¿¿ve started working with, Queen¿¿s student advisors, Department listed tutors, and researching and implementing good study and organization habits, speaking with professors/attending office hours if I have any questions and being more proactive with talking to any TA¿¿s if needed
Areas upon which to Focus Improvement and Resource-utilization Resources, Remedies, and Next Steps
Academic Demands
- Did I have difficulty with course content or difficulty following along with lectures, reading, and completing course work 1. I do not think I have trouble actually comprehending and using information in a university level course (As proven by my completing my Economics course as well as my high marks in AP courses which are standardized university level courses)
2. I did have difficulty completing course work, but I believe this is due to distraction and difficulty coping with the many irregular, non-academic obstacles I faced this year and not an intellectual inability ¿¿ This I plan to address by utilizing the resources aforementioned in Section C of ¿¿Components of the Plan¿ (mental health services to stay calm and focused all year, meeting with TA¿¿s, professors, and tutors to make sure I¿¿m on track in class, and utilizing structured and methodical approach to my coursework
3. After strategizing with student advisor, potentially retake some of the classes from my first year that I did not do my best in (especially prerequisite ones), or focusing on new classes that are more specific to my intended academic goals and strengths
Academic Interests
- Did I find most or all of my course work to be extremely onerous, to the extent that working on my studies was less fulfilling/interesting than you had anticipated 1. I do not believe that my coursework was extremely onerous, I actually possess a deep interest in the majority of classes that I was able to take this year, and even took classes in the same subjects in high school and did well in them because of that interest. I have also had an unwavering resolve that I intend to major in economics, (a subject that I have attempted to surround myself by and be exposed to) since I was a child
2. I very much enjoy learning and being surrounded by people who can challenge and expand my knowledge, thinking, and perspective. Being able to continue doing so as soon as possible, especially with a serious academic plan such as this one, is the best way for me to turn my performance around, as well as demonstrate that I have the ability and dedication to my studies to work my way into good academic standing
3. Will continue to take classes that are beneficial to my intended major and academic interests, to prevent this becoming a problem later on
Academic Skills and Work Habits
- Did I find it hard to manage my time, prepare for exams, present material, or complete written assignments
- Did I tend to fall behind on my coursework
- Did I find it difficult to balance academic and non-academic activities 1. I definitely faced difficulty managing my time and keeping myself organized and focused on my schoolwork ¿¿ I plan to address this by relying on the resources I did not take advantage of prior, especially those I was recently informed about and recommended by an advisor in Arts & Sciences Student Services, such as consulting with a learning strategist from Student Academic Success Services as well as creating short and long term goals to manage my workload and get things done in manageable pieces. I also hope to take advantage of any in-person study workshops I can attend as soon as they are possible, and utilizing some good management strategies, such as a weekly planner/calendar and a long-term calendar, to map out larger assignments and complete them efficiently
2. I do not believe that balancing academics and extracurriculars was my biggest problem, as my only extracurricular this year was being a member of Queen¿¿s Model UN team, which I am prepared to sacrifice for the greater goal of being a successful student. My largest problem was keeping myself from feeling overwhelmed and feeling like giving up, especially during my second semester while I was far away from Kingston and instead home in the United States, which will not be an issue if I am allowed to return for studies in the fall as I take advantage of student services and find a personal therapist, as well as the fact that I now have a permanent place to live in at Queen¿¿s.
Personal Circumstances
- Have I experienced any extraordinary situational demands that prevented me from succeeding 1. In my first year in university, I have been in the hospital for injuries, contracted Covid-19, have had to move nearly 10 times (multiple times while still dealing with an injury), have had to learn to live on my own, have had to deal with the deaths of 2 long-term friends in the span of 2 months (one of whom I could not attend any memorials of due to border closings and difficulty travelling), and had intense mental struggles with feeling depressed and anxious. The mental toll and difficulty of these obstacles were amplified when I was unable to see my family all of first semester and was left isolated when forced to try and manage from home during second semester. Once I got home, the exhaustion of everything I experienced first-semester and then the circumstances I faced during second semester adding to that mental toll caught up to me. I also have always placed high expectations on myself (being the son of immigrants and wanting to make the most of their sacrifices) and finding myself struggling mentally (something I was not used to and made it harder for me to even recognize) and in academic determination, left me feeling hopeless and in a bad place. All of these factors left me distracted and overwhelmed, and unable to perform academically at the level to which I am capable of, but are all factors which will either not be concerns going forward or which will be addressed by this academic plan
2. In the future, should any similar issues arise, they will be addressed by the strategies outlined prior and by utilizing the resources aforementioned, as well as Student Wellness Services and being proactive about submitting requests through the Academic Consideration Request Portal, should that be at all necessary
A. Focus ¿¿ Economics Degree (BAH)
B. Expectations ¿¿ Higher performance in classes, better management of workload and preventing pitfalls that led to subpar performance previously
C. Strategies ¿¿ Address mental struggles, create stability and rigidity to maintain focus and performance throughout the year, utilize resources at Queen¿¿s that I did not know about and/or take advantage of
Components of the Plan Considered Questions and Current Situation
A. Course of Study 1. Shadowing Economics Degree
2. Requirements - must increase GPA to above 1.6 to be automatically accepted into Economics Major
B. Course Load 1. Full time student
2. Will discuss the best courses to focus on with academic advisor but the goal is to go into second year on track and prepared by using this plan
C. Strategies for Success 1. Challenges encountered ¿¿ Difficulty maintaining strong academic focus throughout the year, mental health/struggles, personal losses, lack of consistent place to live, being at home, Covid-19 and resulting difficulties
2. Plan to address those challenges ¿¿ Focusing the summer on those skills as well as further challenging myself intellectually especially in the field I intend to study through my summer internship (which I sought out to start getting things back on track), and potentially taking a Queen's, Coursera, or other university level courses this summer (should that be supported by my academic advisor) and utilizing available resources; I have a secured lease in Kingston so instability on where I live will not be an issue, and am now fully vaccinated as well as physically recovered from the effects resulting from my contraction of Covid-19 during school, and have started meeting with a therapist
3. Skills to move forward ¿¿ Learning to address mental struggles, creating short-term goals and plans to be aware of all assignments and get them done proactively to prevent any procrastination and preventing work overload
4. Resources I plan to employ ¿¿ Queen¿¿s mental health services/the therapist I¿¿ve started working with, Queen¿¿s student advisors, Department listed tutors, and researching and implementing good study and organization habits, speaking with professors/attending office hours if I have any questions and being more proactive with talking to any TA¿¿s if needed
Areas upon which to Focus Improvement and Resource-utilization Resources, Remedies, and Next Steps
Academic Demands
- Did I have difficulty with course content or difficulty following along with lectures, reading, and completing course work 1. I do not think I have trouble actually comprehending and using information in a university level course (As proven by my completing my Economics course as well as my high marks in AP courses which are standardized university level courses)
2. I did have difficulty completing course work, but I believe this is due to distraction and difficulty coping with the many irregular, non-academic obstacles I faced this year and not an intellectual inability ¿¿ This I plan to address by utilizing the resources aforementioned in Section C of ¿¿Components of the Plan¿ (mental health services to stay calm and focused all year, meeting with TA¿¿s, professors, and tutors to make sure I¿¿m on track in class, and utilizing structured and methodical approach to my coursework
3. After strategizing with student advisor, potentially retake some of the classes from my first year that I did not do my best in (especially prerequisite ones), or focusing on new classes that are more specific to my intended academic goals and strengths
Academic Interests
- Did I find most or all of my course work to be extremely onerous, to the extent that working on my studies was less fulfilling/interesting than you had anticipated 1. I do not believe that my coursework was extremely onerous, I actually possess a deep interest in the majority of classes that I was able to take this year, and even took classes in the same subjects in high school and did well in them because of that interest. I have also had an unwavering resolve that I intend to major in economics, (a subject that I have attempted to surround myself by and be exposed to) since I was a child
2. I very much enjoy learning and being surrounded by people who can challenge and expand my knowledge, thinking, and perspective. Being able to continue doing so as soon as possible, especially with a serious academic plan such as this one, is the best way for me to turn my performance around, as well as demonstrate that I have the ability and dedication to my studies to work my way into good academic standing
3. Will continue to take classes that are beneficial to my intended major and academic interests, to prevent this becoming a problem later on
Academic Skills and Work Habits
- Did I find it hard to manage my time, prepare for exams, present material, or complete written assignments
- Did I tend to fall behind on my coursework
- Did I find it difficult to balance academic and non-academic activities 1. I definitely faced difficulty managing my time and keeping myself organized and focused on my schoolwork ¿¿ I plan to address this by relying on the resources I did not take advantage of prior, especially those I was recently informed about and recommended by an advisor in Arts & Sciences Student Services, such as consulting with a learning strategist from Student Academic Success Services as well as creating short and long term goals to manage my workload and get things done in manageable pieces. I also hope to take advantage of any in-person study workshops I can attend as soon as they are possible, and utilizing some good management strategies, such as a weekly planner/calendar and a long-term calendar, to map out larger assignments and complete them efficiently
2. I do not believe that balancing academics and extracurriculars was my biggest problem, as my only extracurricular this year was being a member of Queen¿¿s Model UN team, which I am prepared to sacrifice for the greater goal of being a successful student. My largest problem was keeping myself from feeling overwhelmed and feeling like giving up, especially during my second semester while I was far away from Kingston and instead home in the United States, which will not be an issue if I am allowed to return for studies in the fall as I take advantage of student services and find a personal therapist, as well as the fact that I now have a permanent place to live in at Queen¿¿s.
Personal Circumstances
- Have I experienced any extraordinary situational demands that prevented me from succeeding 1. In my first year in university, I have been in the hospital for injuries, contracted Covid-19, have had to move nearly 10 times (multiple times while still dealing with an injury), have had to learn to live on my own, have had to deal with the deaths of 2 long-term friends in the span of 2 months (one of whom I could not attend any memorials of due to border closings and difficulty travelling), and had intense mental struggles with feeling depressed and anxious. The mental toll and difficulty of these obstacles were amplified when I was unable to see my family all of first semester and was left isolated when forced to try and manage from home during second semester. Once I got home, the exhaustion of everything I experienced first-semester and then the circumstances I faced during second semester adding to that mental toll caught up to me. I also have always placed high expectations on myself (being the son of immigrants and wanting to make the most of their sacrifices) and finding myself struggling mentally (something I was not used to and made it harder for me to even recognize) and in academic determination, left me feeling hopeless and in a bad place. All of these factors left me distracted and overwhelmed, and unable to perform academically at the level to which I am capable of, but are all factors which will either not be concerns going forward or which will be addressed by this academic plan
2. In the future, should any similar issues arise, they will be addressed by the strategies outlined prior and by utilizing the resources aforementioned, as well as Student Wellness Services and being proactive about submitting requests through the Academic Consideration Request Portal, should that be at all necessary