Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 13155
Submitted: May 14, 2025 at 5:39:19 AM
First Name: Jennifer
Last Name: Zhang
Pronoun: She/her
Student Number: 20351478
Email: 21jdz@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BSCH
Plan: CHEM
Level of Study: 3
Code: CHEM397
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2024
Instructor's Name: Kristen Harrington
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: Dear member of petition office,
In writing this petition, I wish to an have opportunity to resubmit my two failing lab report out of the total 14 lab reports I have completed for CHEM397. With this opportunity, I can effectively make up my mistakes now, enjoy the full year research experience in CHEM497 next year, and graduate in four years to continue with my future plans.
CHEM 397 is a 6 unit, full-year course, lab-orientated year 3 level chemistry course. When course started in September, I was actively participating the course, collaborating well with my lab partner, and completing good quality lab reports. As the course progresses, I experienced a period where I got isolated from my friend group. We used to share a highly overlapping life. We have the same major, were enrolled in the same classes, the change in our relationship was a dramatic change to my life. Where my life toppled from going everywhere with those friends to walking solo on campus.
I did attempt to recover from their impacts, but before I realize I began shutting my blinds tight, and locked myself in my room for self-protection.
A major side effect of this experience is which I began to not attend lectures, tutorials, nor completing assignments on time. Although I did attend all the lab sessions for CHEM397, it was a suffering experience, also one of my biggest attempts at trying to keep up as the course progresses.
The other side effect was not being to bring quality corporation with my lab partner for our lab reports. In return has broken our collaboration relationship. It was another hit on me, as the workload doubled, and I would need to complete the 2-people lab reports on my own.
When my family realized my horrible state, they started reaching out to me and helped me stand back on my feet. As I slowly recover from my horrible personal state, I also began resuming back to completing the course assignments, to attend my lectures, also catching up all the missing work. I also reached out to my previous lab partner again and resumed working together on the lab reports.
Just as I began to find back the rhyme of school life, the TA strike hit our campus, and labs were shut down. I had zero predictions over what may happen next, or how might we finish the 397 course. So, I shifted my focus away from 397 and tried my best in catching up all the other content from my other courses.
Before the last week of class, our lab coordinator announced how CHEM397 would alter the marking scheme under the impact of the TA strike this year. She outlines that in total of 14 lab reports needed to be submitted and passed, to pass the entire course. After the announcement, I reached out to the lab coordinator and learned that I have 2 missing lab reports to complete in a week. (The usual workload is for 2 people to complete one lab report in a week). During this last week of class, I was facing the need to complete two passing lab reports, complete assignments from other courses, and prepare four upcoming finals that starts on April 7th (last day of class was April 4th). I tried my very best in juggling between the large amount of workload, and to complete all the workload on time, but unwillingly failed to pass the two lab reports.
In writing this petition, I hope I can have an opportunity to resubmit the past two failing lab reports, as I was greatly affected by my horrible personal state and wish to have an opportunity to make up my failed lab reports.
Another reason that I wish to have an opportunity to resubmit the past two failing lab reports, is that I wish to have the opportunity to be fully immersed in the full year CHEM497 course next year. CHEM497 is the last full year, lab-orientated course of the chemistry major. Where it may be my only chance to be able to experience how life in a research lab may be like. This full year experience in a research lab is what attracted me during major selection in first year in choosing chemistry.
Although I understand there is still the summer version of CHEM497 that I can choose from, but the duration of time spent in the research group differs from a few weeks to a full 8 months of experience in a research group. I do understand that the theoretical “in-lab hour” will be the same between the two versions of CHEM497, however I believe that each research group has its own culture, unique character, and members would be able to build deep connections between each other. I wish to have an opportunity to be immersed in that environment, build my connections, to understand and be involved in that culture. These experiences are what I imagine may be missed out in summer version of CHEM497, as one may only spend a few weeks rather than 8 months in the research culture.
Thank you very much for your time in reviewing my situations, I am very grateful if I can have the opportunity to make up my past mistake in resubmitting my two failing labs reports now, then be able to experience the full CHEM497 research culture, and graduate in four years to continue my future plans.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Zhang
In writing this petition, I wish to an have opportunity to resubmit my two failing lab report out of the total 14 lab reports I have completed for CHEM397. With this opportunity, I can effectively make up my mistakes now, enjoy the full year research experience in CHEM497 next year, and graduate in four years to continue with my future plans.
CHEM 397 is a 6 unit, full-year course, lab-orientated year 3 level chemistry course. When course started in September, I was actively participating the course, collaborating well with my lab partner, and completing good quality lab reports. As the course progresses, I experienced a period where I got isolated from my friend group. We used to share a highly overlapping life. We have the same major, were enrolled in the same classes, the change in our relationship was a dramatic change to my life. Where my life toppled from going everywhere with those friends to walking solo on campus.
I did attempt to recover from their impacts, but before I realize I began shutting my blinds tight, and locked myself in my room for self-protection.
A major side effect of this experience is which I began to not attend lectures, tutorials, nor completing assignments on time. Although I did attend all the lab sessions for CHEM397, it was a suffering experience, also one of my biggest attempts at trying to keep up as the course progresses.
The other side effect was not being to bring quality corporation with my lab partner for our lab reports. In return has broken our collaboration relationship. It was another hit on me, as the workload doubled, and I would need to complete the 2-people lab reports on my own.
When my family realized my horrible state, they started reaching out to me and helped me stand back on my feet. As I slowly recover from my horrible personal state, I also began resuming back to completing the course assignments, to attend my lectures, also catching up all the missing work. I also reached out to my previous lab partner again and resumed working together on the lab reports.
Just as I began to find back the rhyme of school life, the TA strike hit our campus, and labs were shut down. I had zero predictions over what may happen next, or how might we finish the 397 course. So, I shifted my focus away from 397 and tried my best in catching up all the other content from my other courses.
Before the last week of class, our lab coordinator announced how CHEM397 would alter the marking scheme under the impact of the TA strike this year. She outlines that in total of 14 lab reports needed to be submitted and passed, to pass the entire course. After the announcement, I reached out to the lab coordinator and learned that I have 2 missing lab reports to complete in a week. (The usual workload is for 2 people to complete one lab report in a week). During this last week of class, I was facing the need to complete two passing lab reports, complete assignments from other courses, and prepare four upcoming finals that starts on April 7th (last day of class was April 4th). I tried my very best in juggling between the large amount of workload, and to complete all the workload on time, but unwillingly failed to pass the two lab reports.
In writing this petition, I hope I can have an opportunity to resubmit the past two failing lab reports, as I was greatly affected by my horrible personal state and wish to have an opportunity to make up my failed lab reports.
Another reason that I wish to have an opportunity to resubmit the past two failing lab reports, is that I wish to have the opportunity to be fully immersed in the full year CHEM497 course next year. CHEM497 is the last full year, lab-orientated course of the chemistry major. Where it may be my only chance to be able to experience how life in a research lab may be like. This full year experience in a research lab is what attracted me during major selection in first year in choosing chemistry.
Although I understand there is still the summer version of CHEM497 that I can choose from, but the duration of time spent in the research group differs from a few weeks to a full 8 months of experience in a research group. I do understand that the theoretical “in-lab hour” will be the same between the two versions of CHEM497, however I believe that each research group has its own culture, unique character, and members would be able to build deep connections between each other. I wish to have an opportunity to be immersed in that environment, build my connections, to understand and be involved in that culture. These experiences are what I imagine may be missed out in summer version of CHEM497, as one may only spend a few weeks rather than 8 months in the research culture.
Thank you very much for your time in reviewing my situations, I am very grateful if I can have the opportunity to make up my past mistake in resubmitting my two failing labs reports now, then be able to experience the full CHEM497 research culture, and graduate in four years to continue my future plans.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Zhang
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC