Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter to formally ask for an appeal to drop the courses GNDS 125, POLS 212, POLS 261, POLS 262, taken during the winter 2017 semester here at Queen¿¿s University due to extenuating mental health circumstances caused by a mismanagement of medication, which lead to a depressive state and an increased severity of my ADHD to a severely harmful extent. I have been taking many different medications for my clinically diagnosed ADHD since I was diagnosed at 17, along with generalized learning disorders.

In high school, I was not diagnosed and so had trouble with many of my courses, and without accommodations I generally received low marks, even in classes I loved. However, I preserved and managed to get into Queen¿¿s, which has been one of the greatest experiences for me. I first year, I did very well in my courses considering the difficulty of transitioning. Last semester I ran out of a prescription for my Adderall and my family doctor would not renew it unless I came into her Toronto location, as she does not really believe ADHD should be treated with medication. After that I lapsed and due to forgetfulness and anxiety issues I didn¿¿t fill my prescription and went off it cold turkey. This mistake had a severe negative impact on every part of my life, especially my academics.

When I was off my medication this year, my ADHD symptoms got severe and I became depressed as I could not keep up in class or focus long enough to complete any task. This depression led to me being unable to get out of bed in the morning and go to class at all. I felt like it was hopeless and that I would never keep up with the other students. When I tried to go over my notes from my note taker I couldn¿¿t focus long enough to even read them. This continued into every aspect of my education and my feelings of hopelessness grew and spread to the point where doing anything for a class seemed impossible, even though I was studying the things I loved. My academics lapsed to the point where I couldn't even complete an essay or project. I was not motivated to go to my exams because I felt so depressed about my academic situation and my mental health continued to decline. In the end, I failed all my classes that semester even though I wanted to try and do well I just couldn¿¿t.

Near the end of the semester, very close friends of mine helped me realize I could fix the problem and this wasn't all hopeless and something could be done so I wouldn't fail out of school. I went to counseling services at Queen¿¿s to start on my path to better mental health and went and got my Adderall prescription renewed and adjusted for the perfect dosage. During this summer I took time to figure out what I wanted and got myself very organized for this school year for maximum productivity. I love Queen¿¿s university and I've never felt more capable or more inspired, so I hope that I can appeal these grades so that I can continue to learn and grow. I am part of several extra curricular's at Queen¿¿s this year, including the International Affairs Association, and I am lucky enough to have a great support system here. If I am allowed to drop these courses, I feel that my academics will only improve, and I am dedicated to doing well in the future. This situation is not something I can change now, but I can only hope that by my actions now I can improve myself and continue my education. I feel like I have found a place to call home and I feel comfortable saying that I am much more confident in my abilities and situation now.

Thank you,
Sarah Miranda