Petition Letter
To whomever it may concern,
My name is Rachana Peddakotla and I have been at Queen's University for three years now. My university career can only be described as containing a multitude of ups and downs, mostly downs as indicated by my academic history.
This year was hard for many, due to the abrupt change to online classes and the stress of working through a pandemic. This was also the case for me but unfortunately, this year also highlighted and exacerbated some past issues of mine which impacted my personal and academic life greatly.
I attribute most of my failings as a student throughout my career as personal circumstances out of my control. As seen in the letter my therapist and psychiatrist provided, I went through some instances that severely hindered my personal life leading to the jeopardization of my academic life as well.
As outlined in the letter provided, I had a severe episode during the first semester of this year, leading to two hospitalizations; one during the exam season of first semester and one in the first few weeks into the second semester of the past year. These instances caused a lot of stress as you can imagine and impacted me greatly. Due to the severity of this episode itself and the events leading up to and following it, my academics greatly suffered.
Throughout the second semester of this year, I dealt with both the severe crash that comes with an episode like this along with the physical, mental, and emotional repercussions that it brings on. The introduction of harsh medications to deal with these issues brought about a great deal of physical and mental stress as well. I was advised to take a semester off, which was not an option due to familial pressures. However, I did lower my course load which helped for a while, but again, as due to the circumstances outlined above, I could not perform well considering I attempted to continue my studies while, quite honestly, still dealing with extreme health concerns out of my control. This is why I ask for the wiping of my transcript of my last year. These failings were beyond my control and I feel like not an accurate reflection of my academic ability considering the serious concerns I was going through at the time.
I gained a greater understanding of my own personal issues as well as the reasons I could not adequately perform the way I wanted in my academics the past few years through these experiences. It provided the clarification and justification I needed for realizing why my performance as a student always was below average, and how I could combat that.
I again, want to emphasize that these situations were completely out of my control, as most mental illnesses are. However, due to personal reflection and conversations with others, I do believe I can rectify the stress this has placed on my academics.
I believe at least taking one or two courses in the next year is a viable option for me while taking charge of the lingering effects of the past year. As mentioned before, I couldn¿¿t keep up with my academics even with a lowered course load due to the immediate attempt to do so. With the levelling out of my medications and the deeper clarity I have been provided with the help I am now receiving, I have gotten past the first few hurdles of dealing with these illnesses appropriately.
I do understand that I cannot handle a full course load which is why I only ask to be allowed to take a maximum of two per semester, which I fully believe I can handle.
I implore whoever is handling my case to consider the extenuating circumstances I was placed under and consider the two requests I am making. One, to expunge my transcript for the last year and two, to waive the requirement to withdraw for three years and instead allow me to do a maximum of two courses per semester so I can stay on track and finish my studies in an adequate time period.
Thank you,
Rachana Peddakotla
My name is Rachana Peddakotla and I have been at Queen's University for three years now. My university career can only be described as containing a multitude of ups and downs, mostly downs as indicated by my academic history.
This year was hard for many, due to the abrupt change to online classes and the stress of working through a pandemic. This was also the case for me but unfortunately, this year also highlighted and exacerbated some past issues of mine which impacted my personal and academic life greatly.
I attribute most of my failings as a student throughout my career as personal circumstances out of my control. As seen in the letter my therapist and psychiatrist provided, I went through some instances that severely hindered my personal life leading to the jeopardization of my academic life as well.
As outlined in the letter provided, I had a severe episode during the first semester of this year, leading to two hospitalizations; one during the exam season of first semester and one in the first few weeks into the second semester of the past year. These instances caused a lot of stress as you can imagine and impacted me greatly. Due to the severity of this episode itself and the events leading up to and following it, my academics greatly suffered.
Throughout the second semester of this year, I dealt with both the severe crash that comes with an episode like this along with the physical, mental, and emotional repercussions that it brings on. The introduction of harsh medications to deal with these issues brought about a great deal of physical and mental stress as well. I was advised to take a semester off, which was not an option due to familial pressures. However, I did lower my course load which helped for a while, but again, as due to the circumstances outlined above, I could not perform well considering I attempted to continue my studies while, quite honestly, still dealing with extreme health concerns out of my control. This is why I ask for the wiping of my transcript of my last year. These failings were beyond my control and I feel like not an accurate reflection of my academic ability considering the serious concerns I was going through at the time.
I gained a greater understanding of my own personal issues as well as the reasons I could not adequately perform the way I wanted in my academics the past few years through these experiences. It provided the clarification and justification I needed for realizing why my performance as a student always was below average, and how I could combat that.
I again, want to emphasize that these situations were completely out of my control, as most mental illnesses are. However, due to personal reflection and conversations with others, I do believe I can rectify the stress this has placed on my academics.
I believe at least taking one or two courses in the next year is a viable option for me while taking charge of the lingering effects of the past year. As mentioned before, I couldn¿¿t keep up with my academics even with a lowered course load due to the immediate attempt to do so. With the levelling out of my medications and the deeper clarity I have been provided with the help I am now receiving, I have gotten past the first few hurdles of dealing with these illnesses appropriately.
I do understand that I cannot handle a full course load which is why I only ask to be allowed to take a maximum of two per semester, which I fully believe I can handle.
I implore whoever is handling my case to consider the extenuating circumstances I was placed under and consider the two requests I am making. One, to expunge my transcript for the last year and two, to waive the requirement to withdraw for three years and instead allow me to do a maximum of two courses per semester so I can stay on track and finish my studies in an adequate time period.
Thank you,
Rachana Peddakotla