Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To whom it may concern,

I am writing to request a late withdrawal from my courses in the fall 2025 semester. In the previous semester, I experienced a combination of significant academic and personal challenges that were beyond my control. As a result of these challenges, I was unable to perform to my full academic potential. Consequently, my final grades in the prior semester do not reflect my capabilities as a student.

Throughout my first semester at Queen's, I experienced persistent psychological challenges, including significant academic anxiety as well as periods of depression. These difficulties began as a result of my transition to university, particularly being far from my support system. Without having access to the emotional support that I relied on, I found coping with my course load and sticking to a stable routine to be a grueling task.

In addition, I was dealing with the impacts of ADHD, which affected my ability to manage my workload. I struggled greatly with executive functioning, which affected my ability to manage my time, initiate tasks, and stay organized. During both semesters, I attempted to seek accommodations to support my academics, I applied twice but was not able to secure them during the year. Without the accommodations, I found it extremely difficult to keep up with academic expectations.

These factors combined had a direct affect on my academic performance. My academic anxiety caused me to avoid checking and confronting my standing, which led to me being unaware of how far behind I had fallen. By the time I did check, it had become overwhelming. The avoidance, in combination with my struggle with executive functioning, resulted in chronic procrastination and an inability to start or finish assignments in a timely manner. I often found myself “freezing” when trying to start work, which prevented my progress even if I was aware of deadlines.

At the time, I did not understand the severity of my situation or the extent to which my habits were impacting me, which resulted in me failing multiple courses. I was also unaware of the support systems that were available to me, so I did not access them until it was too late. I recognize that I should have been more proactive in seeking the help that I needed, however my ADHD and anxiety made it difficult for me to take those steps during the first semester.

At the start of the second semester, I took steps to address these challenges. I had begun working with a counselor at Queen’s to support my mental health and to better understand my challenges so that I could develop strategies for managing my academic workload. By doing this, I have gained a clearer understanding of how anxiety and ADHD impact my academic life, especially in terms of task initiation and time management. I am also continuing to pursue accommodations to better support these challenges in the upcoming semester.

Given the extent to which these circumstances had impacted my capacity to perform academically, I want to request that my failed courses from the semester be considered for a late withdrawal. I believe that this would more accurately reflect a period during which I faced extenuating circumstances rather than my capability or commitment to my education.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Mariah Singh
20547785