Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I would like to request that this class be changed to a personal interest credit, or a credit standing if possible. Unfortunately, I only learned about personal interest credits after the deadline for submission had already passed. As such, I have never had an easy time learning languages, but I nonetheless took up the challenge of learning a second language as a means of self-improvement and working towards global citizenship. My intention was noble if perhaps somewhat naive given the circumstances. Regrettably the semester did not go according to plan and this has hindered my ability to apply for graduate school. The only extenuating circumstance that I can provide is that in the past I have dealt with issues related to depression and believe the cause may be linked to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This winter I began to experience symptoms related to this condition which affected my performance harshly. There were weeks that felt hopeless and terrible fatigue that no amount of rest could alleviate, while intrusive thoughts made it difficult to concentrate. It took me a while to seek help because I was worried about my future prospects if anyone were to learn that I was experiencing an issue related to mental health again, I was terribly ashamed that my depression had resurfaced.