Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 10655
Submitted: June 12, 2023 at 2:20:13 PM
First Name: Brenda Leena
Last Name: Ahmad
Pronoun: She/Her
Preferred Name: Leena
Student Number: 20278081
Email: 20blla@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BSH
Plan: LISC
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear board of studies,
I am appealing to the Associate Dean to waive my requirement to withdraw from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences for one year. I understand that requiring me to withdraw is due to an unsatisfactory GPA. However, I respectfully ask for a reconsideration as I believe continuing with my studies would be more beneficial for my journey to recovery with mental health and my improvement in performance at school. Last year I dealt with personal struggles, whilst managing my academics along with an anxiety disorder. Thankfully to the understanding of the board, I was given a chance to continue my studies at Queen’s university. Unfortunately, anxiety is a mental health condition that does not cure short term, and I must acknowledge that I have dealt with my ups and downs throughout this year. However, remaining enrolled in the University and continuing my studies has played a pivotal role in my path to recovery. Throughout my career, school has remained a constant factor that provides me with stability and helps me regain control of an important aspect of my life. By prioritizing my career goals through academics, I am able to manage my anxiety and stay grounded which is reflected through the improvement of my grades in the Fall 2022 semester and Winter 2023 semester. Additionally, I took great advantage of the opportunity given to me by using all the resources provided to us as students and following my academic plan from last year. I worked closely with my professors to improve my understanding of challenging concepts, I have developed relationships with upper year students who have mentored me, I reached out to guidance counselors, solidified friendships as support in Queen’s, followed monthly calendars, and taken advantage of the exercise facilities at the University. I discovered that there is a correlation between physical and mental health therefore I developed a rigorous exercise schedule that has helped me acquire discipline and soothe my anxious symptoms. Furthermore, I have been working with a psychologist during the year who also supports the view that remaining in school is more beneficial for my journey to recovery and performance. With heartfelt conviction, I genuinely believe continuing my studies would be more beneficial for my recuperation and focus. My passion for my career is just starting to blossom and I am determined to continue my pursuit on this path. Having come incredibly close this year, I humbly request the support of the Dean and Board of Studies to please reconsider my withdrawal for a year so I can unleash my full potential as an accomplished and successful student.
I will provide a letter from my psychologist and dive further into my plans for academic success in the academic plan.
I really appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Leena Ahmad.
I am appealing to the Associate Dean to waive my requirement to withdraw from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences for one year. I understand that requiring me to withdraw is due to an unsatisfactory GPA. However, I respectfully ask for a reconsideration as I believe continuing with my studies would be more beneficial for my journey to recovery with mental health and my improvement in performance at school. Last year I dealt with personal struggles, whilst managing my academics along with an anxiety disorder. Thankfully to the understanding of the board, I was given a chance to continue my studies at Queen’s university. Unfortunately, anxiety is a mental health condition that does not cure short term, and I must acknowledge that I have dealt with my ups and downs throughout this year. However, remaining enrolled in the University and continuing my studies has played a pivotal role in my path to recovery. Throughout my career, school has remained a constant factor that provides me with stability and helps me regain control of an important aspect of my life. By prioritizing my career goals through academics, I am able to manage my anxiety and stay grounded which is reflected through the improvement of my grades in the Fall 2022 semester and Winter 2023 semester. Additionally, I took great advantage of the opportunity given to me by using all the resources provided to us as students and following my academic plan from last year. I worked closely with my professors to improve my understanding of challenging concepts, I have developed relationships with upper year students who have mentored me, I reached out to guidance counselors, solidified friendships as support in Queen’s, followed monthly calendars, and taken advantage of the exercise facilities at the University. I discovered that there is a correlation between physical and mental health therefore I developed a rigorous exercise schedule that has helped me acquire discipline and soothe my anxious symptoms. Furthermore, I have been working with a psychologist during the year who also supports the view that remaining in school is more beneficial for my journey to recovery and performance. With heartfelt conviction, I genuinely believe continuing my studies would be more beneficial for my recuperation and focus. My passion for my career is just starting to blossom and I am determined to continue my pursuit on this path. Having come incredibly close this year, I humbly request the support of the Dean and Board of Studies to please reconsider my withdrawal for a year so I can unleash my full potential as an accomplished and successful student.
I will provide a letter from my psychologist and dive further into my plans for academic success in the academic plan.
I really appreciate your consideration.
Sincerely,
Leena Ahmad.
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: I am currently enrolled in a bachelor of science program, majoring in life sciences and have met with an academic advisor, Jenna Kring, to go over the list of courses I have satisfied and the ones I must. Additionally, throughout the year I have stayed in contact with the life science department counselor Katherine Rudder who has helped guide me in my course selection as well as looking for tutoring options. I do enjoy the career path I am working for and wish to continue it as a full-time student, therefore below I will outline my academics, areas of concern, what I have done to manage them, and how I will improve them.
Academics
According to my academic advice, I have yet to satisfy 6.0 units of CHEM 281/282 as core courses and 15.0 units of list A LISC level 300 courses. As a result I am planning to take CHEM 281 and 282 this coming year. I am currently looking into chemistry tutors that I can start working with over the summer to prepare in advance for these courses. I also plan to retake statistics (BIOL 243) as well as managing my third year (15.0) courses through the year. I plan on reducing my course load to only 4 courses each semester as well.
Concerns and solutions
Academic Demands
What have I done?
This year I engaged more with my professors and TAs after tutorial sessions or lectures for support on challenging topics in my courses. For example, in the fall semester I took a BCHM 217 course where I was more confident in engaging in my tutorials and attending exam review sessions with my TAs.
From last year I retook CHEM 112, BIOL 103 which have resulted in improved marks as a reflection of my improved mental state and engagement with extra help. I am currently taking a summer course PHYS 118 and am working with previous physics students to help me succeed in this course.
I did take a lighter workload this year which helped me manage my courses better. Although I struggled with the content of two of my courses which I will outline further in this plan.
What will I improve on?
I would like to pay more frequent visits with guidance as I found it helpful to ease my anxiety with regards to courses. Additionally, I have looked into tutors for chemistry specifically, CHEM 281 and 282 as they are challenging courses I require extra help with. Currently, I am working on finding a tutor that I can work with over the summer to help me with PHYS 118 as it would help me solidify my understanding of the concepts taught to us.
Academic Skills and Work Habits
What have I done?
As a result of my mental health disorders, I have worked with my psychologist to develop exercises that would help me with loss of motivation due to depression or procrastination through my anxieties. As an example, I have a list of quantitative, small goals I would like to accomplish during the summer that I have been working towards. These bite size goals help me stay focused and motivated to continue moving forward and the structure helps my anxieties reduce. Also, I was following a monthly planner during the year to keep track of course deadlines, although I found that a weekly planner would be more successful. Therefore, I will attach a rough outline of a weekly plan I have started to follow during the summer as well as one of the goals from my list I have been working on.
What will I improve on?
Setting up a meeting with a learning strategist is on the top of my to do list as I believe they would be able to guide me in realistically organizing my weekly schedule catered to me. Time management is a skill I am still working on perfecting therefore a learning strategist would be very helpful for reorganizing my weekly schedule
Personal Circumstances
What have I done?
Unfortunately, I have to deal with recurring anxiety and mild depression as they are disorders that never completely go away. Throughout the school year, I have been working with my psychologist to create customized exercises that target the enhancement of my performance in academics as well as address and soothe my symptoms. I have also found that physical and mental health are substantially correlated therefore I worked on improving my diet and developed a rigorous exercise routine to improve my physical health. As bi-productive of the structure provided by this schedule I have developed discipline which has improved my mental health.
What will I do?
I am aware that academic consideration is provided to students therefore I will make use of it when needed if my symptoms significantly affect my performance. I will continue refining my exercises with my psychologist as well as follow my exercise routine within limits of my workload. I believe that the continuation of my academic career will benefit me for my improvement as it provides a stable structure that keeps me grounded and focused on my path to success. Also, I am currently training to play tennis on the team for next year so that I can get more involved in the school and maintain structure for next year.
Rough draft of a structured weekly schedule I use for my summer course and goals:
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays:
8:00 am - wake up and get ready
9:00 am to 10:am - go to the gym
10:30 am to 1:30 pm - Review PHYS 118 concepts, practice 3 difficult applied questions and 2 conceptual questions
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm - eat lunch (Fridays I have physics tutorials therefore I shift the schedule to eat 30 minutes before 2:00 pm)
3:10 pm to 4:45 pm - solidify concepts by watching videos, rereading textbooks or asking peers/TAs for help.
5 pm to 6:00/6:30 pm - Play tennis with my tennis partner (optional)
7:00 pm to 7:45 pm - Eat dinner
8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Work on 2 EWA question assignments, then practice 1 question from each previous module
9:00 pm to 9:30 - practice piano, I am refining one piece and learning two new songs. I alternate which one I practice by week.
9:45 to 11:00 - leisure time as well as getting ready to go to bed
Tuesdays and Thursdays:
8:00 am - wake up and get ready
9:30 am to 12:45 pm - Review PHYS 118 concepts, practice 3 difficult applied questions and 2 conceptual questions
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - eat lunch
3:00 pm to 4:45 pm - solidify concepts by watching videos, rereading textbooks or asking peers/TAs for help.
5 pm to 7:30 pm - Play tennis with my tennis partner
7:00 pm to 7:45 pm - Eat dinner
8:15 pm to 9:30 pm - Practice piano
9:30 pm to 11:00 - leisure time as well as getting ready to go to bed
Weekends:
I am more flexible in my schedule due to spontaneous engagements with family and friends although I try to stay focused on my summer goals which is improving my tennis skills, engaging in my sports activities like playing basketball or hiking. I also dedicate more time to my piano practice. Sundays I dedicate an hour of my time to create a schedule for the next week as well.
Additional notes:
With regards to my exercise routine, I alternate between days to go to the gym and focus on full body strengthening through weights yet I also try to continue my activity by playing tennis everyday or by running. Weekends are more flexible with respect to the gym as I prefer sports activities over weight training. I also keep in mind to give myself breaks at least once or twice a week to not strain my body.
Academics
According to my academic advice, I have yet to satisfy 6.0 units of CHEM 281/282 as core courses and 15.0 units of list A LISC level 300 courses. As a result I am planning to take CHEM 281 and 282 this coming year. I am currently looking into chemistry tutors that I can start working with over the summer to prepare in advance for these courses. I also plan to retake statistics (BIOL 243) as well as managing my third year (15.0) courses through the year. I plan on reducing my course load to only 4 courses each semester as well.
Concerns and solutions
Academic Demands
What have I done?
This year I engaged more with my professors and TAs after tutorial sessions or lectures for support on challenging topics in my courses. For example, in the fall semester I took a BCHM 217 course where I was more confident in engaging in my tutorials and attending exam review sessions with my TAs.
From last year I retook CHEM 112, BIOL 103 which have resulted in improved marks as a reflection of my improved mental state and engagement with extra help. I am currently taking a summer course PHYS 118 and am working with previous physics students to help me succeed in this course.
I did take a lighter workload this year which helped me manage my courses better. Although I struggled with the content of two of my courses which I will outline further in this plan.
What will I improve on?
I would like to pay more frequent visits with guidance as I found it helpful to ease my anxiety with regards to courses. Additionally, I have looked into tutors for chemistry specifically, CHEM 281 and 282 as they are challenging courses I require extra help with. Currently, I am working on finding a tutor that I can work with over the summer to help me with PHYS 118 as it would help me solidify my understanding of the concepts taught to us.
Academic Skills and Work Habits
What have I done?
As a result of my mental health disorders, I have worked with my psychologist to develop exercises that would help me with loss of motivation due to depression or procrastination through my anxieties. As an example, I have a list of quantitative, small goals I would like to accomplish during the summer that I have been working towards. These bite size goals help me stay focused and motivated to continue moving forward and the structure helps my anxieties reduce. Also, I was following a monthly planner during the year to keep track of course deadlines, although I found that a weekly planner would be more successful. Therefore, I will attach a rough outline of a weekly plan I have started to follow during the summer as well as one of the goals from my list I have been working on.
What will I improve on?
Setting up a meeting with a learning strategist is on the top of my to do list as I believe they would be able to guide me in realistically organizing my weekly schedule catered to me. Time management is a skill I am still working on perfecting therefore a learning strategist would be very helpful for reorganizing my weekly schedule
Personal Circumstances
What have I done?
Unfortunately, I have to deal with recurring anxiety and mild depression as they are disorders that never completely go away. Throughout the school year, I have been working with my psychologist to create customized exercises that target the enhancement of my performance in academics as well as address and soothe my symptoms. I have also found that physical and mental health are substantially correlated therefore I worked on improving my diet and developed a rigorous exercise routine to improve my physical health. As bi-productive of the structure provided by this schedule I have developed discipline which has improved my mental health.
What will I do?
I am aware that academic consideration is provided to students therefore I will make use of it when needed if my symptoms significantly affect my performance. I will continue refining my exercises with my psychologist as well as follow my exercise routine within limits of my workload. I believe that the continuation of my academic career will benefit me for my improvement as it provides a stable structure that keeps me grounded and focused on my path to success. Also, I am currently training to play tennis on the team for next year so that I can get more involved in the school and maintain structure for next year.
Rough draft of a structured weekly schedule I use for my summer course and goals:
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays:
8:00 am - wake up and get ready
9:00 am to 10:am - go to the gym
10:30 am to 1:30 pm - Review PHYS 118 concepts, practice 3 difficult applied questions and 2 conceptual questions
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm - eat lunch (Fridays I have physics tutorials therefore I shift the schedule to eat 30 minutes before 2:00 pm)
3:10 pm to 4:45 pm - solidify concepts by watching videos, rereading textbooks or asking peers/TAs for help.
5 pm to 6:00/6:30 pm - Play tennis with my tennis partner (optional)
7:00 pm to 7:45 pm - Eat dinner
8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Work on 2 EWA question assignments, then practice 1 question from each previous module
9:00 pm to 9:30 - practice piano, I am refining one piece and learning two new songs. I alternate which one I practice by week.
9:45 to 11:00 - leisure time as well as getting ready to go to bed
Tuesdays and Thursdays:
8:00 am - wake up and get ready
9:30 am to 12:45 pm - Review PHYS 118 concepts, practice 3 difficult applied questions and 2 conceptual questions
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - eat lunch
3:00 pm to 4:45 pm - solidify concepts by watching videos, rereading textbooks or asking peers/TAs for help.
5 pm to 7:30 pm - Play tennis with my tennis partner
7:00 pm to 7:45 pm - Eat dinner
8:15 pm to 9:30 pm - Practice piano
9:30 pm to 11:00 - leisure time as well as getting ready to go to bed
Weekends:
I am more flexible in my schedule due to spontaneous engagements with family and friends although I try to stay focused on my summer goals which is improving my tennis skills, engaging in my sports activities like playing basketball or hiking. I also dedicate more time to my piano practice. Sundays I dedicate an hour of my time to create a schedule for the next week as well.
Additional notes:
With regards to my exercise routine, I alternate between days to go to the gym and focus on full body strengthening through weights yet I also try to continue my activity by playing tennis everyday or by running. Weekends are more flexible with respect to the gym as I prefer sports activities over weight training. I also keep in mind to give myself breaks at least once or twice a week to not strain my body.
Documentation
Professional Letter: Letter from Psychologist-2.pdf