Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Physical disabilities, no matter when they present have complex repercussions on one¿¿s psyche. For me, being diagnosed with epilepsy was more than just adjusting to life with seizures, it was getting used to a different perception of my physical capabilities, which were severely altered. As well, it was an emotional adjustment because of the profound effect this illness had on my physical and mental well-being. Having uncontrolled epilepsy, is there is never a sense of normalcy. There was no pattern as to when I would have a seizure. I could have two in one evening and then not have one for another two weeks. This is something that¿¿s mentally hard to adjust to because you are no longer in control of your body. Living in this constant fear, detracted from my ability to focus on many things, as is required when starting university.
I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the end of high school, and by the time I entered Queens in first year, the seizures were still not under control. I was on an extremely high dose of two different medications, but I was still having seizures at least every two weeks.
The medications I was on caused me to be very tired and I had difficulty concentrating. As well, they severely impacted my memory. Frequently when I reminisce on first year with my friends they tell me I had no memory. They tell me of how I would ask them something and then five minutes later I would ask them the same question, with no recollection of having asked previously. Needless to say, this was not conducive to academic success.
My seizures always happened at night. When I had a seizure I would have difficulty sleeping for the rest of the night and it would take me a few days to truly feel like myself again. The day or two after I had a seizure, I had very little capacity to focus, making it very hard to absorb what was said in my lectures.
Now it is apparent from my transcript that I struggled in some courses but not others, which might make you question the validity of this claim, so allow me to explain.
Having seizures, and being on the medication did not have a global effect on my intelligence, however it did make applying the skills necessary for academic success extraordinarily difficult. It was hard to stick to a study schedule, when I couldn't know when I would have a seizure, and be unable to study for a few days. Because of this, it made it extremely hard for me to keep up with the demanding course load of a first year science student. Naturally, certain courses are easier to grasp than others. It is for this reason alone I think I managed to succeed in some courses and not others. Courses that required more memorization, and where the subject matter was more complex and demanding, were harder to keep up with, especially in my diminished state.
I implore you to allow these grades to be removed from my record. They are not a reflection of who I am as a student or a person. Since my first year, I have undergone brain surgery, which has cured my seizures and allowed me to go off the medication. This surgery changed my life in such a positive way, and these marks are the one vestige of a person I no longer am.