Petition Letter
Good afternoon, I hope this email finds you well. My name is Rachel Burns and I just finished my first year at Queen's University. I am reaching out to you today to discuss an email that I received from you regarding my academic standing as of May 2021. The email included information that discussed my need to withdraw from the Faculty of Arts and Science for one year due to my lacking GPA in my first year. I'm reaching out to you today in order to discuss alternate options that would not derail my education for a year.
During my first year at Queen's University, I had an initial excitement for the beginning of my university career, but soon after this I was met with a rush of anxiety for the drastic change in course load as well as the struggle to learn remotely. While I knew that the transition from high school to university was not going to be the easiest, I had no anticipation for what I would face in this first year. Between learning remotely as well as having very little motivation to learn from the same desk and environment everyday, I ultimately experienced the worst academic year I've ever faced. My first semester is when my anxiety and panic attacks began, however I powered through as hard as I could which inevitably caused me to have extreme exhaustion for the work I had just completed over the semester.
When I started my second semester of classes, I saw a drastic change in my mental health. Daily panic and anxiety attacks were just some of the challenges that I faced in my mental health which not only caused me to sleep and stay in bed for weeks at a time, but I also distanced myself from those around me to avoid the embarrassment I was feeling from my depleting GPA and overall work ethic. I did not feel confident enough to reach out to my family members for help, nor did I feel I could reach out to a health care professional. With this being said, I greatly regret not reaching out to those who could have offered me support and guidance during what seemed to be the most difficult time in my life.
During my first year at Queen's University, I had an initial excitement for the beginning of my university career, but soon after this I was met with a rush of anxiety for the drastic change in course load as well as the struggle to learn remotely. While I knew that the transition from high school to university was not going to be the easiest, I had no anticipation for what I would face in this first year. Between learning remotely as well as having very little motivation to learn from the same desk and environment everyday, I ultimately experienced the worst academic year I've ever faced. My first semester is when my anxiety and panic attacks began, however I powered through as hard as I could which inevitably caused me to have extreme exhaustion for the work I had just completed over the semester.
When I started my second semester of classes, I saw a drastic change in my mental health. Daily panic and anxiety attacks were just some of the challenges that I faced in my mental health which not only caused me to sleep and stay in bed for weeks at a time, but I also distanced myself from those around me to avoid the embarrassment I was feeling from my depleting GPA and overall work ethic. I did not feel confident enough to reach out to my family members for help, nor did I feel I could reach out to a health care professional. With this being said, I greatly regret not reaching out to those who could have offered me support and guidance during what seemed to be the most difficult time in my life.