Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Cheryl Sims
10022567
Sociology Major, Geography Minor 2017

Dear Associate Dean of Studies,

I am appealing the final grade I received in Stats 211 during my last semester Spring 2016 at Queen's University due to extenuating circumstances.I am appealing to gain a credit standing in this class, as it is required that I gain a mark of C or higher for my degree. I have previously appealed for marks to be deferred in my second year of studies.I am appealing to have this mark gain credit standing due to a returning of these conditions.

After the 2016 winter break I returned to school and experienced a downturn of my mental health. During this time I was unable to perform to my best academic abilities due to the fact that I felt unmotivated and isolated due to said conditions. This included feelings of anxiousness and an overwhelming feeling of inaction which were exacerbated by being unable to reach support to deal with the situation. I experienced a change in my sleeping patterns which in turn also led to difficultly in attendance and participation in classes and tutorials. While changes in my appetite lead me to an unhealthy lifestyle, in which I stopped being active and thus felt more fatigue. A drastic change in sleeping and eating caused my body stress, which again resulted in more feelings of fatigue. The fatigue and unhealthy lifestyle brought on by my mental health led to sleeping more than 10 hours a night and missing class. My mental health made reaching for the supports that I had used previously used seem impossible, and menial day to day tasks seemed out of my reach. The stress made focusing difficult, and I felt unmotivated to complete the schoolwork required. These feelings contributed to my missing lecture, tutorials and attending extra help sessions. I isolated myself which meant that I faced social anxiety about going on campus, and interacting with others became difficult. I attempted to escape these feelings by further isolating myself in my apartment. This created a cyclical thought process in which my own isolation would reinforce the isolation I felt from within my social group. Getting up from bed became difficult and I used distractions to prevent myself from focusing on the negative emotions that I would feel regularly. This change within my mood made studying much more difficult and made motivating myself to do work exhausting.

During mid semester I recognized how far I had fallen behind in my classes. I was not able to hand in papers for other classes, and did not attend the mid-term exam in Stats 211. My lack of attendance to the midterm was due to feelings of hopelessness and anxiety about being around others. I reached out for Queens's counselling services as they had previously given me insight. They gave me the correct documentation to get an extension on a paper, and advised that I seek further long term counselling in the future. After this, I made an effort to try to get back on track with my classes and as my grades reflect largely was able to. Stats 211 however due to the course structure , required me to consistently go to classes, participate in tutorials and finish weekly quizzes. During this time I continued to face issues with attending lecture and focusing. Due to the amount of work, and the reliance of past material, my work within the class was not enough. This exacerbated my feelings of helplessness and anxiousness as my work was not appearing to pay off. Despite this, I made an effort to attend tutorials and completed the final project. However, my ability to control my mental health in the last 2 years left me with false impressions about my ability to overcome the difficulties I was facing. Rather than dealing with my mental health, my efforts went to preparing for the final exam. I placed pressure on myself to keep up with my studies which further exacerbated my mental health as my mood, fatigue and unhealthy lifestyle caught up with me.

My future plans to overcome my mental health issues include finishing my remaining three classes from home on a transfer credit. Being at home, with my family will give me the support and structure that I need to regain my mental health. Previously, I would isolate and distract myself from my work as a way to deal with my anxiousness. I am confident that with the help and support of my friends and family I can finish my degree. This will also allow me to start seeing a counselor, to work on my mental health, and overcome some of the issues that continue to affect me. I think talking to a counselor will be a big step in recovering and preventing this from happening again. I hope to gain effective tools to deal with my mental health, and productive ways to overcome some of the day to day difficulties I face. Working with my counselor will ensure that I deal more effectively with my stress, and ensure that I do not fall back into self-harming habits. I plan on meeting with academic advisers to advise me on how to take transfer credits in the appropriate classes that will ensure my success in the future. As well, the importance of healthy eating and exercising has become a priority once again within my life. I make a conscious effort to work out three times a week with a friend. My close friends and family are aware of my health, and make an effort to check up on me, and ensure that I continue on in my efforts for a healthy lifestyle.

I believe that the grade I received in Stats 211 does not reflect my ability, as extenuating circumstances prevented me from doing my best within the class. I hope that my success within the years after I returned to Queens and perseverance to gain my degree shows my passion for academic and the motivation I have to continue to improve my mental health and marks. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. The supporting documentation from the counselling services will follow.