Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am appealing for a credit standing for the courses I completed in April of 2024, (2024 Winter). These courses include, PHAR 100, BIOL 102, BIOL 103, and CHEM 112. I am also applying for a late drop for Math 112.

During the 2024 Winter semester, I was struggling with Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and diagnosed with ADHD. I was on and off medication for depression and anxiety, and during this time my medication was negatively affecting me and I stopped taking it. Side effects of the medication I was taking at the time (Cipralex) included extreme lethargy, drowsiness, fatigue, insomnia, and loss of motivation. This severely affected my ability to attend class, complete assignments on time, and resulted in being behind in class with grades that reflected my attendance. Due to my severe depression I was delayed prescriptions for ADHD because my depression was a bigger issue than my lack of focus and organization. My experience with severe depression included lack of interest in studies and hobbies, lack of motivation, depressive episodes that left me unable to leave my room for a minimum of 2 days and a maximum of 7, an increase in extreme behavioural mood swings, and suicidal thoughts.
Due to my ADHD, I suffer from disorganization, procrastination, poor time management, severe issues focusing on one task, and issues coping with stress. These ADHD symptoms mixed with severe depression prevented me from obtaining a school routine, and staying on top of my classes and schoolwork. This mix of depression and ADHD also left me with high anxiety and stress due to my inability to complete tasks normally, and go one day without experiencing negative mental health.
I am appealing for credit standing for all of my courses taken in the 2024 Winter semester because every course was affected by my mental health. I decided to appeal for credit standing a year later after learning that it was an option for me to improve my GPA, because I have been placed on academic probation.
For the late drop for Math 112, I was unaware of my options as a student to drop the course, even though I was aware of my grades during it, which led me to fail the course and receive an F on my transcript.
I also recently learned about writing a petition appeal for my class from last year, which is why I am applying for a credit standing much later than when I completed the courses.

The issues I struggled with in first year have been improving since due to therapy and the correct medication to help me succeed, not just as a student, but in all aspects of my life. My plan to ensure I succeed in the remainder of my studies is to switch degree plans into a major I feel more confident learning, while talking to my academic advisor more frequently to make sure I’m on track to succeed. I’ve made the decision to move home to my parents house in Kingston to be supported by them so I will not have to struggle with paying rent, and they can emotionally support me as well. I’ve cut down my hours at my job to spend more time on my studies, and have been working with my therapist and family doctor to practice coping mechanisms, organization skills, and next steps regarding my mental health. I’ve gone longer periods of time without experiencing negative symptoms of my mental health in the past 8 months, and continue to improve each day. I’ve evolved so much since last year and I feel confident that I will continue to improve my lifestyle to lead me to academic success, and receiving a credit standing for my first year grades will boost my GPA to help my academics recover from what I went through during first year to help me continue my studies here at Queen’s University.

Thank you for taking your time to read this, and I hope you can understand my situation from my perspective.