Academic Plan
Dear Dr. Stephenson,
I have given a great deal of thought to my decision to appeal the academic requirement to withdraw and have developed what I believe is a realistic plan, a detailed roadmap with well defined academic goals that will help get me back on track and position me for success.
My academic plan upon my return to studies will focus on two main areas - taking the right courses in order to ensure my success, and utilizing the resources available to me at Queens in order to help myself develop coping strategies and better executive function skills. Specifically, I will utilize resources to help me better deal with academic demands, my academic interests, and my academic skills and habits.
The focus of my studies upon my return to Queens will be retaking previously failed courses as well as retaking courses which I finished with low grades, which I hope will effectively raise my grade point average. Additionally, I plan on taking third year econ courses, specifically econometrics, which I have wanted to study since I began taking economics in high school. In terms of workload expectations, I believe that with accommodations and other strategies for success at my disposal five courses per semester should not be too much for me to handle, especially if in-class lectures were to return this fall.
Currently, I am happy with my degree plan, but, depending on my academic performance upon my return to studies I may consider switching to an economics major from the general economics plan. For this reason, I would plan on taking third year core econ courses alongside courses that I would be retaking. I believe this is a plan that would set me up for success as I am passionate about economics and am very driven to improve my grades in courses which I have previously done poorly in. With this in mind I believe it is not unreasonable for me to graduate in four or five semesters if I were to take solely economics courses in my fifth year of studies.
In terms of strategies for success, I realize that there have been many things holding me back from succeeding, first and foremost being myself, and my unwillingness to seek help when I need it, which I think is a result of my anxiety, depression and ADHD making it seem like an impossible task. I have come to understand this better since I began seeing a therapist a few months ago, someone I plan to continue seeing on a regular basis moving forward.
With this in mind I will seek to help myself when I return to studies and employ the resources available to me at Queens. First and foremost I will aim to contact QSAS and get accommodations for my ADHD, which I think will greatly help me at succeeding academically, and will lift a burden off my shoulders which has been there since first year. I also believe that my commitment to ongoing therapy for my mental health issues which will help me develop coping strategies and strategies for success.
Some other strategies I will employ to help me with academic demands will be to seek help from my professors and TAs when I need it, as well as attending office hours on a regular basis. Im also committed to engaging tutors when needed to help me with courses that are proving to be challenging, and I will consult with a learning strategist as well as academic advisors to help me with my work habits, something that should help me develop better academic skills.
I recognize that this past year one of the challenges for me was I was not as engaged in the course material as I would have liked to have been. I chalk that up to the fact that they were neither part of my degree nor courses which I wanted to retake, which in my opinion, mixed with all my other problems, created a perfect storm for my failure.
I have done a lot of soul searching since receiving the letter advising me that I need to take a year off of my studies. I know I can do better. And I am extremely disappointed in myself and know that I have let down not only myself, but also my family, and my professors. This coming year I hope to return to Queens and know that with the right supports in place, and a plan that I can stick to, I will be in a much better place to achieve my potential.
Best wishes,
Bill Young
I have given a great deal of thought to my decision to appeal the academic requirement to withdraw and have developed what I believe is a realistic plan, a detailed roadmap with well defined academic goals that will help get me back on track and position me for success.
My academic plan upon my return to studies will focus on two main areas - taking the right courses in order to ensure my success, and utilizing the resources available to me at Queens in order to help myself develop coping strategies and better executive function skills. Specifically, I will utilize resources to help me better deal with academic demands, my academic interests, and my academic skills and habits.
The focus of my studies upon my return to Queens will be retaking previously failed courses as well as retaking courses which I finished with low grades, which I hope will effectively raise my grade point average. Additionally, I plan on taking third year econ courses, specifically econometrics, which I have wanted to study since I began taking economics in high school. In terms of workload expectations, I believe that with accommodations and other strategies for success at my disposal five courses per semester should not be too much for me to handle, especially if in-class lectures were to return this fall.
Currently, I am happy with my degree plan, but, depending on my academic performance upon my return to studies I may consider switching to an economics major from the general economics plan. For this reason, I would plan on taking third year core econ courses alongside courses that I would be retaking. I believe this is a plan that would set me up for success as I am passionate about economics and am very driven to improve my grades in courses which I have previously done poorly in. With this in mind I believe it is not unreasonable for me to graduate in four or five semesters if I were to take solely economics courses in my fifth year of studies.
In terms of strategies for success, I realize that there have been many things holding me back from succeeding, first and foremost being myself, and my unwillingness to seek help when I need it, which I think is a result of my anxiety, depression and ADHD making it seem like an impossible task. I have come to understand this better since I began seeing a therapist a few months ago, someone I plan to continue seeing on a regular basis moving forward.
With this in mind I will seek to help myself when I return to studies and employ the resources available to me at Queens. First and foremost I will aim to contact QSAS and get accommodations for my ADHD, which I think will greatly help me at succeeding academically, and will lift a burden off my shoulders which has been there since first year. I also believe that my commitment to ongoing therapy for my mental health issues which will help me develop coping strategies and strategies for success.
Some other strategies I will employ to help me with academic demands will be to seek help from my professors and TAs when I need it, as well as attending office hours on a regular basis. Im also committed to engaging tutors when needed to help me with courses that are proving to be challenging, and I will consult with a learning strategist as well as academic advisors to help me with my work habits, something that should help me develop better academic skills.
I recognize that this past year one of the challenges for me was I was not as engaged in the course material as I would have liked to have been. I chalk that up to the fact that they were neither part of my degree nor courses which I wanted to retake, which in my opinion, mixed with all my other problems, created a perfect storm for my failure.
I have done a lot of soul searching since receiving the letter advising me that I need to take a year off of my studies. I know I can do better. And I am extremely disappointed in myself and know that I have let down not only myself, but also my family, and my professors. This coming year I hope to return to Queens and know that with the right supports in place, and a plan that I can stick to, I will be in a much better place to achieve my potential.
Best wishes,
Bill Young