Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: This petition letter is in regard to Credit Standing on specified courses as a result of extenuating circumstances pertaining, but not limited to housing environment, psychological challenges, and recovery from physical illness outlined below.

Struggling with major depressive disorder, recovering from an eating disorder, as well as living in a less-than-ideal living space all contributed to my poorer academic performance in these courses.

I have been diagnosed with severe depression and do many things to manage the condition, but it does affect my day-to-day life.

Time was needed every week for weigh-ins, food monitoring, therapy, and sometimes doctor/ nutritionist check-ins. Recovering from an eating disorder was exhausting, but essential for my health. I remember my doctor checking in on whether I was going to have a full or reduced course load because she was concerned about me having a lot going on. In hindsight, a reduced course load, although something I never would have anticipated taking, probably would have been the best decision with everything going on. I was overworked, under constant stress, and just getting by. School has always been a joy of mine and I love learning, but I could no longer give it my full attention.

With constant issues and fights unfolding among my roommates, my Kingston home quickly became an emotionally tormented, hostile place to live. In our student home, I constantly felt small, judged, insecure, unable to be myself, and isolated. Needless to say, academic motivation was fleeting. Dealing with personal struggles, then having interpersonal conflict being added on top of that, wore me down completely. I was in absolute shambles. Not functioning properly, and losing my appetite, vitality, and sleep, my grades suffered during this time and so did I.
With low energy and self-esteem, I struggled to stay afloat, and my work ethic, as well as quality of work declined. For instance, I remember big conflicts in my household falling around the same time as major midterms and projects, completely interfering with my studying, inner- drive, and focus, leading to me performing poorly. Throughout these events I was reaching out to family members and loved ones for support.
I would also meet with a counselor and healthcare professional, even more so towards the end of the semester, which helped me immensely.

These events were extremely challenging, but life is not without its ups and downs. I'm so grateful for everything that this past year has taught me. I'm confident that overcoming each obstacle has made me a better, stronger version of myself, and as a result, an even better student going forwards.

Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration,

Katherine