Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean,

I am writing to request a late withdrawal from Math 121 due to extenuating circumstances.

I have a recent diagnosis of ADHD and Anxiety. Despite being on medication and having QSAS accommodations, I have struggled tremendously this academic year.

The transition from high school to university has been hard with an overwhelming course load. Adjusting to my diagnosis and all the new stresses has triggered a lot of anxiety. This was made worse by a disruptive roommate and shoulder reinjury that made focussing very difficult.

My roommate’s habits (gaming till 4AM daily, poor hygiene and rotting food in the room) resulted in a living environment that was impossible to study or sleep in. I stayed on campus all day to find quiet places to work, but was permanently sleep deprived which directly impacted my ability to focus and increased my anxiety levels.

At the same time, I reinjured my left shoulder mid november, 2025 that I had had surgery on, on Jan 9, 2025. I have had intermittent, recurrent, severe pain since then, requiring 2 appointments with my orthopedic surgeon and an MRI Dec 31, 2025. I have more bad days than good which significantly hinders my ability to function, study, and sleep.

I have tried throughout the year to address these challenges. I got university support, a math tutor, requested a room change, restarted shoulder therapy, and found a virtual psychologist to address the overwhelming stress and possible depression. Despite these efforts, my anxiety hit a peak in March 2026. I had repeated, unexpected anxiety attacks triggered by my living situation and the pressure of a full course load. I reached a point where I could no longer cope, focus, get up, eat or function. I felt hopeless, down, disappointed, frustrated and like a failure despite trying everything in my power to keep up.

My family suggested I find a virtual therapist and consider dropping Math 121 (my most challenging course) and focus on my remaining courses and health. Since then, I have started to feel slightly better. I am exercising daily and 'resting my eyes' even when the noise in my room prevents me sleeping. I study with others to help manage anxiety attacks. Looking back, I realize I should have dropped Math 121 sooner. I think I put undue pressure on myself to succeed right after my diagnosis. I did not fully grasp how ADHD and anxiety would affect my life.

On April 7, I had a moment of clarity that I had not (but should have) reached out to the math professor sooner, but had been too consumed with just trying to function. If I had been mentally well, I would have researched the deadlines and realized I needed to drop the course by April 6. My sincere apologies for this. I am requesting that as I was only one day late, if you would please consider making an exception based on the circumstances that I have shared above, with you. For the sake of my mental health, it would not be in my best interest to attempt the final math 121 exam. Instead, my plan is to focus on my health and remaining courses.

Moving forward, I have taken steps to ensure this does not happen again:
-A single room for next year.
-Regular psychotherapy.
-Reducing my course load to better manage my ADHD / Anxiety.
-Physiotherapy for my shoulder.
-Retaking Math 121 when I am in a better position to succeed.

I have attached the room change request completed by my psychologist, documentation of my shoulder surgery, the MRI results, and notes from my surgeon. My new psychologist has only seen me once and is currently on vacation, but I can provide further documentation as my treatment progresses if needed.

Thank you for your time and for considering my request during this difficult time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Harshil Sahil Patel
QUEENS STUDENT ID: 20555695