Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 11791
Submitted: April 26, 2024 at 9:26:08 PM
First Name: Devika
Last Name: Nigam
Pronoun: she/her
Student Number: 20328711
Email: 21dn32@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BSH
Plan: CHEM
Level of Study: 2
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: CHEM 212
Term: Fall
Year: 2023
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Devika Nigam
20328711
April 26, 2024
Dear Dr. Stephenson,
Formal petition for late course drop of CHEM 212
I am writing this formal petition to kindly request a late course drop for CHEM 212 (Fall, 2023). I encountered extenuating circumstances which significantly impacted my academic performance in this course.
Beginning November, I had immense stress, depression, and anxiety that hindered my ability to meet my academic commitments. I was having frequent meltdowns that drained my energy and reduced my ability to focus. I found myself in a vicious cycle of stress, which hindered me from studying and giving my best, and not doing so stressed me even more.
Initially, I did not realise the gravity of my condition and thought that I would be able to deal with the situation that I am facing and that it is just a rough patch. However, I gradually experienced the damage it did to my health. During this time, I also received a diagnosis relating to my physical health which exacerbated my circumstances. I gained 14 pounds due to disordered eating and poor nutrition.
My physical condition often prevents me from giving my 100% to a task making it difficult for me to perform satisfactorily in my academic endeavours.
It was challenging for me to get out of bed most days, which lead to me missing out on important lectures and tutorials in my courses. While I always knew and understood the importance of attending lectures and the damaging consequences of missing out on them, my prevailing health conditions made it a daily struggle between my mind, body, and self. It is unnatural for me as a student to miss lectures and tutorials, and the fact that I did is an indication of the serious nature and depth of my mental health condition at the time.
Not only that, the consistent mental and physical health hurdles were immensely discouraging and were paving an easy pathway to isolation. I found myself isolating myself and not seeking emotional support either from my peers or my family. My mental health progressively worsened as the semester progressed and it was clear to me that I need to seek professional support.
I reached out to a counseling psychologist from my home country and to Queen’s Student Wellness services. My regular sessions with my counselor have helped me in establishing effective methods in handling stress and enhancing my ability to concentrate. I have employed helpful techniques such as breathing exercises and journaling to manage anxiety.
These have proven to be effective this semester and have aided in the management of adverse effects of my overwhelming stress and anxiety. I have been able to focus much better and commit to my academic responsibilities in a more profound manner compared to fall semester.
While struggling through all of this and trying to perform well in all my courses, I fell short in CHEM 212. The course structure requires me to pass both the lecture and the lab section to pass the course. The tutorials held 10% weightage in the final grade and due to my inability to attend them, I lost points. While I did well in the labs, I failed the final exam by a few points. Because of not attending the lectures and tutorials due to my circumstances, I had a poor grasp on the content and did not cope enough to perform well on the final. With the burden of a full course load with relatively challenging courses such as BCHM 218, BIOL 205, CHEM 211 and PHGY 215, my attention and effort was thinly spread in an already stressful time.
CHEM 212 is a challenging course, and had I not been going through my circumstances, I know that I would have performed satisfactorily. Failing a course is extremely discouraging but I firmly believe that it should not define my future and certainly not my chances of pursuing my dream. I have worked hard this semester on finding ways to improve my mental health and subsequently my academic performance. Upon advisement of my counselor and physician at SWS, I will continue my sessions with both to track the progress of my health and continue adapting to any changes by finding effective strategies.
Given my current challenges and the steps I'm taking to address them, most respectfully I seek your understanding and support in requesting a late course drop for CHEM 212. I believe this adjustment would offer me a fair chance to demonstrate my true academic potential without being unduly affected by these circumstances.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my appeal. I have attached a note from my counselor and physician as supporting documentation to this application to support my request. I look forward to a positive resolution that will enable me to continue my studies with renewed determination and focus.
Thanking in anticipation,
Devika Nigam
20328711
20328711
April 26, 2024
Dear Dr. Stephenson,
Formal petition for late course drop of CHEM 212
I am writing this formal petition to kindly request a late course drop for CHEM 212 (Fall, 2023). I encountered extenuating circumstances which significantly impacted my academic performance in this course.
Beginning November, I had immense stress, depression, and anxiety that hindered my ability to meet my academic commitments. I was having frequent meltdowns that drained my energy and reduced my ability to focus. I found myself in a vicious cycle of stress, which hindered me from studying and giving my best, and not doing so stressed me even more.
Initially, I did not realise the gravity of my condition and thought that I would be able to deal with the situation that I am facing and that it is just a rough patch. However, I gradually experienced the damage it did to my health. During this time, I also received a diagnosis relating to my physical health which exacerbated my circumstances. I gained 14 pounds due to disordered eating and poor nutrition.
My physical condition often prevents me from giving my 100% to a task making it difficult for me to perform satisfactorily in my academic endeavours.
It was challenging for me to get out of bed most days, which lead to me missing out on important lectures and tutorials in my courses. While I always knew and understood the importance of attending lectures and the damaging consequences of missing out on them, my prevailing health conditions made it a daily struggle between my mind, body, and self. It is unnatural for me as a student to miss lectures and tutorials, and the fact that I did is an indication of the serious nature and depth of my mental health condition at the time.
Not only that, the consistent mental and physical health hurdles were immensely discouraging and were paving an easy pathway to isolation. I found myself isolating myself and not seeking emotional support either from my peers or my family. My mental health progressively worsened as the semester progressed and it was clear to me that I need to seek professional support.
I reached out to a counseling psychologist from my home country and to Queen’s Student Wellness services. My regular sessions with my counselor have helped me in establishing effective methods in handling stress and enhancing my ability to concentrate. I have employed helpful techniques such as breathing exercises and journaling to manage anxiety.
These have proven to be effective this semester and have aided in the management of adverse effects of my overwhelming stress and anxiety. I have been able to focus much better and commit to my academic responsibilities in a more profound manner compared to fall semester.
While struggling through all of this and trying to perform well in all my courses, I fell short in CHEM 212. The course structure requires me to pass both the lecture and the lab section to pass the course. The tutorials held 10% weightage in the final grade and due to my inability to attend them, I lost points. While I did well in the labs, I failed the final exam by a few points. Because of not attending the lectures and tutorials due to my circumstances, I had a poor grasp on the content and did not cope enough to perform well on the final. With the burden of a full course load with relatively challenging courses such as BCHM 218, BIOL 205, CHEM 211 and PHGY 215, my attention and effort was thinly spread in an already stressful time.
CHEM 212 is a challenging course, and had I not been going through my circumstances, I know that I would have performed satisfactorily. Failing a course is extremely discouraging but I firmly believe that it should not define my future and certainly not my chances of pursuing my dream. I have worked hard this semester on finding ways to improve my mental health and subsequently my academic performance. Upon advisement of my counselor and physician at SWS, I will continue my sessions with both to track the progress of my health and continue adapting to any changes by finding effective strategies.
Given my current challenges and the steps I'm taking to address them, most respectfully I seek your understanding and support in requesting a late course drop for CHEM 212. I believe this adjustment would offer me a fair chance to demonstrate my true academic potential without being unduly affected by these circumstances.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my appeal. I have attached a note from my counselor and physician as supporting documentation to this application to support my request. I look forward to a positive resolution that will enable me to continue my studies with renewed determination and focus.
Thanking in anticipation,
Devika Nigam
20328711
Documentation
Professional Letter: Off Campus Note - Devika Nigam-1.pdf
Documentation Detail: On Campus Physician's note