Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 3241
Submitted: April 6, 2017 at 7:50:08 PM
First Name: Alexander
Last Name: Okuda-Rayfuse
Student Number: 10059748
Email: 11raao@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: HIST
Level of Study: 4
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Code: ARTH 292
Term: Winter
Year: 2017
Petition Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean of Studies,
My name is Alex Okuda-Rayfuse. I¿¿m a fifth-year history major. I¿¿m writing to you in order to appeal to drop ARTH 292.
My paper for HIST 246 (The Soviet Experiement) was one of two I had due March 20th. The paper drew on primary sources assigned as readings and a few articles specific to each topic. I was really enjoying the class and I felt good about this paper. I was on top of my readings, and finished the additional material at least a week and a half in advance. I had really engaged with the material and felt I had some good ideas.
Then it came time to write, and things began to go wrong. I was having real difficulty with the page limit. I would write five pages and realize I was nowhere close to expressing all of my ideas. So then I would edit, re-outline and re-write in an attempt to consolidate the ideas I already had on paper into fewer and fewer words. I remained stuck in this cycle for weeks.
I returned to Queen¿¿s this year because I had no idea of what I wanted to do with my life. Last year, I could have picked up the one 200 level course that I needed to graduate, but I was just so scared of the ¿real¿¿ world, I never considered it. Last semester began well. Between surgery, strep throat and a loss of motivation, however, I had my worst semester academically at Queen¿¿s, although I did manage to get the credits needed for me to graduate. I got a D (my lowest grade until this point).
I resolved this semester would be different, and, up until this paper, it had been. I honestly don¿¿t know what happened. Stuck in this cycle, trying to write this paper, believing I had something great on my hands, I grew almost manic (not a professional diagnosis). I stopped eating, sleeping, exercising, talking to friends, and going to class. I knew I had other assignments, and although I began working on them, I kept getting drawn back to this one paper. Given the strength of my ideas, I believed my paper was always just another solid day¿¿s work away from completion.
March 20th passed, I still had barely started writing the other paper, and other assignments were piling up. As I floundered, the growing realization that this semester would be more of the same furthered anxieties about my time and my deficiencies as a student at Queen¿¿s. After five years, how could I have still not figured it out
Over the course of this semester, despite a lack of career prospects, I began to figure out what I want to in life. I saw this wave of assignments as the penultimate hurdle before starting the rest of my life. As my thoughts grew darker, I¿¿d take comfort thinking about the endless possibilities once I was done here. This hurdle now seemed to me an impossibly immense chasm. At minimum, a month of furthered stress and anxiety separated me from something I increasingly sanctified. March 26th I reached my breaking point. I wanted out. I had the credits. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to take some time to get back on my feet in order to meet the ¿real¿¿ world head on.
The next morning I went to talk to my Soviet history professor. After explaining my situation, and having shown I¿¿d put in a real effort, we talked about an extension and I decided I wanted to finish the course. I have since spoken to all but one (LING 100) of my professors, all of whom have been so incredibly supportive and understanding. After we talked, and after having taken a few days to clear my head and get back on a healthy routine, I decided I¿¿d only try to drop one course. I talked with the professor of ARTH 292 about my plan, and she understood. Given the state of my course work in my other classes, I figured dropping this one course would still give me enough time to finish my other assignments and exams, while avoiding having schoolwork drag into the summer. I want to finish the year and my undergraduate career strong, and enter the next stage of my life on a high note.
I¿¿ve worked out a plan of action with my professors, and have been keeping them informed on my progress. They¿¿ve been such tremendous help, taking this huge weight off my shoulders, letting me get back on my feet. This experience has really taught me the value of seeking help sooner rather than later. I¿¿m really disappointed with how this semester went, but I was too ashamed and embarrassed to ask anyone. It¿¿s only when I reached out that things improved. I¿¿ve always struggled managing my time. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 10, and although I haven¿¿t sought academic assistance at Queen¿¿s, it¿¿s evident I need to continue to work on my organizational skills. I have a plan for the next month, however, one that would give me time to complete my assignments and to get ready for the ¿real¿¿ world. I was hoping you might grant this appeal so that I might proceed with this plan.
Thank you for your time,
Alex Okuda-Rayfuse
My name is Alex Okuda-Rayfuse. I¿¿m a fifth-year history major. I¿¿m writing to you in order to appeal to drop ARTH 292.
My paper for HIST 246 (The Soviet Experiement) was one of two I had due March 20th. The paper drew on primary sources assigned as readings and a few articles specific to each topic. I was really enjoying the class and I felt good about this paper. I was on top of my readings, and finished the additional material at least a week and a half in advance. I had really engaged with the material and felt I had some good ideas.
Then it came time to write, and things began to go wrong. I was having real difficulty with the page limit. I would write five pages and realize I was nowhere close to expressing all of my ideas. So then I would edit, re-outline and re-write in an attempt to consolidate the ideas I already had on paper into fewer and fewer words. I remained stuck in this cycle for weeks.
I returned to Queen¿¿s this year because I had no idea of what I wanted to do with my life. Last year, I could have picked up the one 200 level course that I needed to graduate, but I was just so scared of the ¿real¿¿ world, I never considered it. Last semester began well. Between surgery, strep throat and a loss of motivation, however, I had my worst semester academically at Queen¿¿s, although I did manage to get the credits needed for me to graduate. I got a D (my lowest grade until this point).
I resolved this semester would be different, and, up until this paper, it had been. I honestly don¿¿t know what happened. Stuck in this cycle, trying to write this paper, believing I had something great on my hands, I grew almost manic (not a professional diagnosis). I stopped eating, sleeping, exercising, talking to friends, and going to class. I knew I had other assignments, and although I began working on them, I kept getting drawn back to this one paper. Given the strength of my ideas, I believed my paper was always just another solid day¿¿s work away from completion.
March 20th passed, I still had barely started writing the other paper, and other assignments were piling up. As I floundered, the growing realization that this semester would be more of the same furthered anxieties about my time and my deficiencies as a student at Queen¿¿s. After five years, how could I have still not figured it out
Over the course of this semester, despite a lack of career prospects, I began to figure out what I want to in life. I saw this wave of assignments as the penultimate hurdle before starting the rest of my life. As my thoughts grew darker, I¿¿d take comfort thinking about the endless possibilities once I was done here. This hurdle now seemed to me an impossibly immense chasm. At minimum, a month of furthered stress and anxiety separated me from something I increasingly sanctified. March 26th I reached my breaking point. I wanted out. I had the credits. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to take some time to get back on my feet in order to meet the ¿real¿¿ world head on.
The next morning I went to talk to my Soviet history professor. After explaining my situation, and having shown I¿¿d put in a real effort, we talked about an extension and I decided I wanted to finish the course. I have since spoken to all but one (LING 100) of my professors, all of whom have been so incredibly supportive and understanding. After we talked, and after having taken a few days to clear my head and get back on a healthy routine, I decided I¿¿d only try to drop one course. I talked with the professor of ARTH 292 about my plan, and she understood. Given the state of my course work in my other classes, I figured dropping this one course would still give me enough time to finish my other assignments and exams, while avoiding having schoolwork drag into the summer. I want to finish the year and my undergraduate career strong, and enter the next stage of my life on a high note.
I¿¿ve worked out a plan of action with my professors, and have been keeping them informed on my progress. They¿¿ve been such tremendous help, taking this huge weight off my shoulders, letting me get back on my feet. This experience has really taught me the value of seeking help sooner rather than later. I¿¿m really disappointed with how this semester went, but I was too ashamed and embarrassed to ask anyone. It¿¿s only when I reached out that things improved. I¿¿ve always struggled managing my time. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 10, and although I haven¿¿t sought academic assistance at Queen¿¿s, it¿¿s evident I need to continue to work on my organizational skills. I have a plan for the next month, however, one that would give me time to complete my assignments and to get ready for the ¿real¿¿ world. I was hoping you might grant this appeal so that I might proceed with this plan.
Thank you for your time,
Alex Okuda-Rayfuse
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: Letter from Guidance Councillor