Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am appealing to the Faculty of Arts and Science to be waived from the requirement to withdrawal from university caused by extenuating circumstances. I pledge to write the appeal letter with honesty and I appreciate your time for reviewing my complex situation. As an international student, I am currently outside of Canada and receiving a medical treatment.

As appealed in my previous letters, I have been having a long-term illness for the past years and I was away from the university from 2012 to 2015 since I was placed on academic probation and I had to serve my military duty in my home country for two years. Although my medical illness has not been perfectly recovered, I am positive that the years spent outside of schooling had made myself a better individual since I learned a resilience. Facing the challenging experiences during military service had made me realize that schooling is truly valuable and time management is precious. As an individual who is pressured in carrying my family, supporting myself financially and taking responsibility for myself, I have made my mindset to live harder to outperform in every aspect.

After serving my military service, I quitted smoking and drinking to stay healthy and spent more time with my mother and studying while continuing to see a doctor for recovery. Although it was not dramatic, I believe the resolution and changes were proved that I achieved an improved academic result in 2015 summer. After I came back to Queen¿¿s university, I prioritized my activity in studying and exercising to show academic improvement and to stay healthy. Besides that, I have also wanted to change my personal characteristics and I applied for student clubs to feel the sense of belonging and got into the ¿¿Vogue Charity Fashion Show¿ as a creative intern. I strongly believed that engaging with peers outside of class would be rewarding experiences.

Last but not least, I went to see a psychiatrist and have had a medical treatment while continuing school. Due to the fact that it was difficult to make an appointment on a regular basis, I started to go to CDK health clinic when needed. As a person who suffered from a severe mental illness and had thoughts of suicidal attempts in the past, I thought it was very important for me to be taken care of by a professional expertise to handle myself.

Despite I put significant efforts into managing myself, my status got worse starting from the middle of October. I became easily stressed out when things are beyond my control. When I heard about my mother back in Korea from my cousin, I tried to stay strong, but I failed to do so. I began to rely heavily on medication and the doctors that I consulted with prescribed me with a higher dose of medicine. I admitted the fact that I became less confident and motivated in the academic achievement in 2015. Other than relying too much on medication, I also tried not to break my daily routine. I tried to spend most of the time on campus studying and exercising. When I had a lot of tasks and could not go to sleep, I eventually found harming myself, which ended up seeing counselor more often.

At the end of April in 2016, stating my medical illness asked professors if it would be possible to write the final exams in Korea, but my request was denied. The doctor named Dr. Banic, who I usually have seen recommended that it would be better to see a doctor in Korea with regard to efficiency, costs and effectiveness if I have the intention to go back to Korea.

My plan is to immerse myself in the last year of study to graduate next year no matter what. Meanwhile, I am also planning to engage with others to be more outgoing. I am also planning to take a lighter course load of enrolling in 3-4 per semester while actively seeing academic counselors for help when needed. These days, I am putting all my efforts into studying to finalize the remaining courses while receiving a medical treatment in South Korea. As previously mentioned in my previous appeal letter, my intention is to go to Canada with my mom and want to be with her for the next year. I am strongly positive that it will make both better off and help me finding a solace.

Here the followings are the greatest concerns. While my make-up final exam is approved to be written prior to early September, my study permit expires at the end of July and I have received a verification of enrollment, stating that I plan to graduate next year. However, I am very afraid that my renewal might not be granted because I am currently placed on academic probation. As far as I know, the embassy in Canada checks if my verification of enrollment is valid to check my eligibility to approve my stay in Canada. I have also signed my rent, so the result of my appeal letter is an extremely important issue to me. Sincerely, I hope my appeal is granted and I appreciate your time for consideration again.

Sincerely,