Petition Letter
This letter is for the purpose of appealing requesting to return to studies after a requirement to withdraw for three years has lapsed. The reasons pertaining to my withdrawal were related to issues relating to my mental health, difficulties with self discipline, and having little to no motivation due to not setting clear and realistic goals.
Remedies and actions I have taken during my time away to help prepare me for academic success.
Regarding my mental health, I have sought professional help from a mental health counsellor and a therapist. I will be continuing personal counselling sessions because I have found it very beneficial in setting goals in my personal and professional life. Professional help allowed to me clearly set out a plan for my future academically and helped me stay motivated. Counselling has helped me understand what motivates me and I will be continuing these sessions as well as career counselling as I have made significant progress since seeking professional help.
During my time at Queen¿¿s, I was unable to stay focussed and lacked the time management and organizational skills. This made it difficult to stay on track because I was unable to set clear goals lead me to float through the years aimlessly.
For the duration of my time away, I attended Sheridan College and completed a two-year diploma in Investigations. During this time, I had many opportunities to connect with professionals in the field. Through academic advisors and mentors within the program I was able to receive meaningful insight into the field of my interest. With the guidance of program advisors, I was able to gain information regarding careers within this field. This helped me set clear short-term goals and make plans for long term that would help me map out my academic targets.
Within these two years, I completed two placement requirements. One at William Osler Health Systems and another at the Centre for Forensic Sciences. This was a great opportunity because it gave me exposure to the many opportunities in the field and motivated me to set out plans for long term. Since then, I have obtained my private investigator licence and been motivated to pursue further in the field.
The successful completion of the placements were required to graduate from the diploma program. These placements required that I be organized and prepared for scheduled tasks. It was required that I kept lines of communication open and met the deadlines that were set in place. This required self discipline and organizational skills. I kept a digital calendar and a journal specifically for coursework and kept meticulous notes on my tasks. This allowed me to prioritize my time accordingly. These tools and strategies helped me stay ahead of deadlines in my coursework and placements. It also helped me develop anti procrastination methods that I find useful in my day-today. One such skill I will continue to practice is mapping out tasks and breaking them down into steps, so that I am not overwhelmed. I will continue to utilize digital calendars as well as planners to stay ahead of deadlines.
It was essential that I scheduled time for work and time for relaxing. I found carving out time for these necessities allowed me to take maximum advantage of the time. For example, I would book quiet study rooms at the library for studying, completing assignments, and researching. I would schedule time to exercise and time to spend with family and friends.
I believe that I am finally fully prepared to take on, what I believe to me my final year, with both eyes open. In amalgamation of the skills and habits I have practiced over the last three years, I have the confidence and the motivation I did not possess in the earlier years. It is my intent to complete the remainder of my time at Queen¿¿s successfully.
Sincerely,
Eleena Aluthgama Hewage
Student Number: 10105601
Remedies and actions I have taken during my time away to help prepare me for academic success.
Regarding my mental health, I have sought professional help from a mental health counsellor and a therapist. I will be continuing personal counselling sessions because I have found it very beneficial in setting goals in my personal and professional life. Professional help allowed to me clearly set out a plan for my future academically and helped me stay motivated. Counselling has helped me understand what motivates me and I will be continuing these sessions as well as career counselling as I have made significant progress since seeking professional help.
During my time at Queen¿¿s, I was unable to stay focussed and lacked the time management and organizational skills. This made it difficult to stay on track because I was unable to set clear goals lead me to float through the years aimlessly.
For the duration of my time away, I attended Sheridan College and completed a two-year diploma in Investigations. During this time, I had many opportunities to connect with professionals in the field. Through academic advisors and mentors within the program I was able to receive meaningful insight into the field of my interest. With the guidance of program advisors, I was able to gain information regarding careers within this field. This helped me set clear short-term goals and make plans for long term that would help me map out my academic targets.
Within these two years, I completed two placement requirements. One at William Osler Health Systems and another at the Centre for Forensic Sciences. This was a great opportunity because it gave me exposure to the many opportunities in the field and motivated me to set out plans for long term. Since then, I have obtained my private investigator licence and been motivated to pursue further in the field.
The successful completion of the placements were required to graduate from the diploma program. These placements required that I be organized and prepared for scheduled tasks. It was required that I kept lines of communication open and met the deadlines that were set in place. This required self discipline and organizational skills. I kept a digital calendar and a journal specifically for coursework and kept meticulous notes on my tasks. This allowed me to prioritize my time accordingly. These tools and strategies helped me stay ahead of deadlines in my coursework and placements. It also helped me develop anti procrastination methods that I find useful in my day-today. One such skill I will continue to practice is mapping out tasks and breaking them down into steps, so that I am not overwhelmed. I will continue to utilize digital calendars as well as planners to stay ahead of deadlines.
It was essential that I scheduled time for work and time for relaxing. I found carving out time for these necessities allowed me to take maximum advantage of the time. For example, I would book quiet study rooms at the library for studying, completing assignments, and researching. I would schedule time to exercise and time to spend with family and friends.
I believe that I am finally fully prepared to take on, what I believe to me my final year, with both eyes open. In amalgamation of the skills and habits I have practiced over the last three years, I have the confidence and the motivation I did not possess in the earlier years. It is my intent to complete the remainder of my time at Queen¿¿s successfully.
Sincerely,
Eleena Aluthgama Hewage
Student Number: 10105601