Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 14460
Submitted: June 12, 2026 at 8:53:32 PM
First Name: Daniel
Last Name: Feng
Pronoun: He/Him
Preferred Name: Daniel Feng
Student Number: 20551744
Email: 25nv3@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BCMPH
Plan: COMP
Level of Study: 1
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline, Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Code: MATH 121
Term: Fall/Winter
Year: 2026
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean of Art Sci, Dr. Naaman
I am petitioning to drop MATH 121 and the Faculty’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of one year.
Starting in October, I’ve been struggling to adapt to the university environment. Living off campus made it hard to meet new people and establish a support network. I entered a new environment with no one whom I knew while also learning to live by myself for the first time.
During October, I made efforts to build connections to help ease myself into this new environment. But as a result of my introverted nature and social anxiety, I found it hard to develop meaningful friendships. After getting myself into interpersonal conflicts, I damaged a lot of these connections, which then made me withdraw socially and stop building any meaningful connections. As a result, I spent much of the school year socially disconnected without a reliable support system.
Although I did fine in the first semester, I was feeling symptoms of social disconnect, periods of low mood and difficulty adjusting to independent living. Recognizing these symptoms needed to be addressed, I reached out to my family doctor for help.
As winter began, my situation significantly worsened. My social isolation increased; I lost interest in hobbies I used to enjoy, like badminton, and I started feeling prolonged periods of low mood. These challenges affected my academic performance for the second semester. I lost focus in class, lost motivation to keep on working, and lost sleep, which caused me to miss classes. I was overwhelmed by everything I had going on, not to mention I took 6 courses, which was more than I realistically could manage.
I never tried dropping any courses because I was hopeful of academically recovering and felt pressured to reach my plan selection credit quota. During this time, I became increasingly withdrawn and often went on weeks without seeking support.
Near exam week, I reached out to my doctor again, and he recommended that I talk to Student Mental Health Services since it was inconvenient for me to reach my family doctor for help in Thornhill while studying in Kingston. But by this time, it was too late, as my grade had plummeted and exams were coming up, so I felt that I couldn't dedicate the time to find the necessary help needed. I failed several of my courses as a result.
I sincerely ask for MATH 121 to be dropped from my record, as this was the course I struggled the most academically. I didn’t withdraw from the course before the deadline as I genuinely believed I was able to pass this course. By the time I realized it wasn’t realistic, the deadline had already passed.
I also respectfully ask to reconsider the requirement that I withdraw from Queen’s University for a year. I believe that requiring me to leave for a year would disrupt my adjustment to university life and cause me to lose many connections I’ve worked to build. Returning from a prolonged period would require me to start over socially and academically, making the transition even more difficult.
If I’m permitted to return the following year, I’ll retake my failed courses, reduce my course load to three courses per semester, and prioritize my academic recovery. I will also reach out to Queen’s Student Mental Health Services and register with QSAS to receive the appropriate academic support and develop healthier study habits and a more sustainable work-life balance.
I appreciate your time and consideration of my petition.
Sincerely,
Daniel Feng
20551744
I am petitioning to drop MATH 121 and the Faculty’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of one year.
Starting in October, I’ve been struggling to adapt to the university environment. Living off campus made it hard to meet new people and establish a support network. I entered a new environment with no one whom I knew while also learning to live by myself for the first time.
During October, I made efforts to build connections to help ease myself into this new environment. But as a result of my introverted nature and social anxiety, I found it hard to develop meaningful friendships. After getting myself into interpersonal conflicts, I damaged a lot of these connections, which then made me withdraw socially and stop building any meaningful connections. As a result, I spent much of the school year socially disconnected without a reliable support system.
Although I did fine in the first semester, I was feeling symptoms of social disconnect, periods of low mood and difficulty adjusting to independent living. Recognizing these symptoms needed to be addressed, I reached out to my family doctor for help.
As winter began, my situation significantly worsened. My social isolation increased; I lost interest in hobbies I used to enjoy, like badminton, and I started feeling prolonged periods of low mood. These challenges affected my academic performance for the second semester. I lost focus in class, lost motivation to keep on working, and lost sleep, which caused me to miss classes. I was overwhelmed by everything I had going on, not to mention I took 6 courses, which was more than I realistically could manage.
I never tried dropping any courses because I was hopeful of academically recovering and felt pressured to reach my plan selection credit quota. During this time, I became increasingly withdrawn and often went on weeks without seeking support.
Near exam week, I reached out to my doctor again, and he recommended that I talk to Student Mental Health Services since it was inconvenient for me to reach my family doctor for help in Thornhill while studying in Kingston. But by this time, it was too late, as my grade had plummeted and exams were coming up, so I felt that I couldn't dedicate the time to find the necessary help needed. I failed several of my courses as a result.
I sincerely ask for MATH 121 to be dropped from my record, as this was the course I struggled the most academically. I didn’t withdraw from the course before the deadline as I genuinely believed I was able to pass this course. By the time I realized it wasn’t realistic, the deadline had already passed.
I also respectfully ask to reconsider the requirement that I withdraw from Queen’s University for a year. I believe that requiring me to leave for a year would disrupt my adjustment to university life and cause me to lose many connections I’ve worked to build. Returning from a prolonged period would require me to start over socially and academically, making the transition even more difficult.
If I’m permitted to return the following year, I’ll retake my failed courses, reduce my course load to three courses per semester, and prioritize my academic recovery. I will also reach out to Queen’s Student Mental Health Services and register with QSAS to receive the appropriate academic support and develop healthier study habits and a more sustainable work-life balance.
I appreciate your time and consideration of my petition.
Sincerely,
Daniel Feng
20551744
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: During the 2nd semester, I didn’t take enough initiative to get the help I needed. As a result, my situation worsened and negatively affected my academic performance. I failed to realize that I was still adjusting to my environment and overexerted myself by enrolling in 6 courses. Without the proper support and an established support system, I wasn’t able to effectively manage the academic and personal pressures I was experiencing.
After consulting my physician, I’ve developed a plan to address these challenges moving forward. I’ll seek help from Queen’s Student Mental Health Services and pursue registration in QSAS. I'll develop healthier study habits and a more sustainable work-life balance and consult a therapist when needed. Finally, I’ll maintain regular contact with my family doctor to make sure I'm taking proactive steps to improve my health
Academically, I plan to take a reduced course load of three courses per semester. I will retake the courses I failed to improve my GPA and aim for a first-semester GPA of above 3.0. I will attend all my lectures and tutorials, make use of the instructor and TA office hours, and follow a structured weekly study schedule to make sure I stay on top of class.
After consulting my physician, I’ve developed a plan to address these challenges moving forward. I’ll seek help from Queen’s Student Mental Health Services and pursue registration in QSAS. I'll develop healthier study habits and a more sustainable work-life balance and consult a therapist when needed. Finally, I’ll maintain regular contact with my family doctor to make sure I'm taking proactive steps to improve my health
Academically, I plan to take a reduced course load of three courses per semester. I will retake the courses I failed to improve my GPA and aim for a first-semester GPA of above 3.0. I will attend all my lectures and tutorials, make use of the instructor and TA office hours, and follow a structured weekly study schedule to make sure I stay on top of class.
Documentation
Professional Letter: feng-0.pdf