Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: Dear Associate Dean (Studies),
I am appealing to study abroad for all third year of an honours program (BAH). I major in Geography and plan on conducting my third year at the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. I have chosen to study abroad at the University of Amsterdam as it is a well recognised university with a number of courses in the Geography and Urban Planning sector, thus giving me a wide range of courses to choose from that apply directly to my major. The university is located in the heart of the city, which is important as I want to focus my studies on city urban planning. Additionally, I have always been interested in the urban planning or structure of Amsterdam as it is a city built below sea level ¿floating city¿¿. The social structure of Amsterdam also fascinates me as it is a migrant city in which the population is made of 176 different nationalities, meaning there are a lot of different cultures in a small space. Yet there is minimal conflict or crime within the city. The city is also known for maintaining low poverty rates and a high quality of life standard due to the government¿¿s social welfare system. These are some of the characteristics of Amsterdam that I am interested in and want to further explore if I get accepted.
I was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya and moved to Canada to attend university, thus I have been lucky enough to see a contrast in the geography, urban planning and social structure in two very different settings. Thus the study abroad experience in Amsterdam will allow to me to see and study a different geography and a new city structure in a different continent. This will help add to my knowledge of geography and urban planning by allowing me to compare the characteristics of the different cities and further enhance my perspective in my major. I will also be able to apply the knowledge of geography that I learnt in the first two years at Queens in an entirely new setting allowing me to practice and apply what I know in a new environment.
The third year abroad in Amsterdam will assist me in improving my urban perspective as I will get to see another urban and social structure. This will allow me to compare and contrast Nairobi, Kingston and Amsterdam, thus having a more extensive knowledge in my major and for further studies. After the year abroad, I plan to come back to Queens and complete the courses required to fulfil the Geography major in my fourth year. After graduation, I plan to take further studies in Urban Planning, thus this experience will be beneficial in that I will be able to explore and refer to urban systems and geographies of different places. In the future years (after my studies) I will want to apply the knowledge i have learnt from Amsterdam, Queens and further studies to Kenya's developing economy and society to help the country grow in the right direction. Additionally, my family lives in Nairobi. Being in Amsterdam will mean that I am a lot closer to them for the year in comparison to Canada. This will be beneficial to my well being as I will be able to visit home (Kenya) more frequently and be with my family, especially after the recent loss of a family member. The study abroad experience will help enhance my perspective and better my knowledge in my field of study and for the future.
Best Regards,
Qaher Madhani