Manage Appeals
Petition Type: New
ID: 5921
Submitted: June 11, 2019 at 11:00:48 PM
First Name: Keerthy
Last Name: Srinivasa Raja
Student Number: 20011171
Email: 15krsr1@queensu.ca
Degree Program: BAH
Plan: GNDS
Level of Study: 3
Petition Categories
Petition Categories: Waive the requirement to withdraw for one year
Petition Letter
Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean (Studies),
My name is Keerthy Raja (20011171) and I am writing this appeal letter to you to request to waive the requirement to withdraw from studies for the upcoming academic year (2019-2020). I want to take the opportunity through this letter to explain the circumstances that have resulted in my current situation in hopes that this will allow you to have a better understanding when considering my appeal.
During my first year, I took different introduction courses to help guide my interests into a particular major. I came into university thinking that I wanted to become a politics major and since course selection was limited to quite generalized courses, I took a variety that I thought would be interesting. Most upper year students I had known told me that your grades would drop tremendously once you get to university, but I always thought that it only happened to people who never completed their work. However, as I was still getting used to university life and the work load, although all my work was completed, I still was not achieving the grades that I thought I would. I ended my first year with a really low GPA, something that I did not realize was so difficult to bring back up.
Since that first year, I had gotten really into my head about failing out of school. I developed so much constant anxiety about my family finding out how terrible my first year really was. I was completely ashamed, embarrassed, and disappointed in myself, but I was still determined to do much better during my second year. At this point, I defaulted into a Genders major because that was one of the only majors, I was able to get into because of my low GPA. Although I enjoyed Gender Studies, I was still looking to switch out of it because when thinking about a future career, I was not sure what I would be able to do with a degree in Genders. After doing research into careers in Public Relations, I began thinking that I should become an English major because I had seen Queen's Alumni go into the path once they completed their English degrees. So, during my second-year course selection, I decided to take ENGL100, since I had not taken it in first year, along with a bunch of elective classes hoping I would be able to switch into it at the end of the year. As the year went by however, I began to realize that English was not for me, I had absolutely zero interest in it. I broke down many times trying to figure out what direction I was supposed to be going in. The most interesting classes I was taking ended up being in Gender Studies and those courses were actually the only ones I was doing well in. But since I had plagued my schedule with electives, determined to be an English major, my GPA at the end of the year became an all-time low. I got so worried about getting kicked out of school, my mental health completely deteriorated during that summer, I became severely depressed because of the shame I felt about being a disappointment to myself and my family.
When I received the letter that placed me on Academic Probation, I was completely disappointed in myself, but I was still relieved that I was not getting kicked out of school. I went into third year determined to be able to become the student I used to be. After doing more research, I realized that I would still be able to obtain a PR certificate at a college program with an undergraduate degree in anything and after having attended Life After ArtSci, Genders and PR seem to go very well together. I was passionate about it and I was ready to finally accept myself as a Genders major. Despite my motivation to do well, my mental health issues took an even bigger toll on my third year. I was constantly and consistently so anxious about failing out of university. Every single morning when I woke up, it would be the first thing I thought about. The insurmountable pressure of trying to do really well in all of my classes or risk my GPA lowering even further took over my life. It felt as if I had dug a hole for myself that I could never get out of, a single mistake could push me deeper. Although this year I was able to have great attendance and I really enjoyed my classes and work, when it came down to my grades, they still were not where they needed to be for me to be able to bring my GPA back up to a Good Standing. The pressure and anxiety I felt to achieve the grades I needed was enormous, every day I thought about how I was never going to be able to do it and I should just quit now. I kept rationalizing it to myself but at the same time, I did not want to be a university drop-out, I know that I am a good student. Although I achieved better grades in some classes this year, they were not enough to outweigh the lower grades I got in other classes. Thus, the requirement to withdraw.
My mental health issues, specifically my anxiety and depression has severely and negatively affected my education since coming to university. I am never one to ask help. I grew up with parents not believing that mental illness was real and that being depressed was just a form of laziness. Even though their views have changed slightly in recent years, they never believed that their children would ever experience any sort of issue. It was engrained in me to think that I was being ridiculous and that my problems were never as bad as someone else's and since my parents absolutely do not believe in therapists, I never had someone to talk to about the way I was feeling. There are only 3 people in my life who even know of the severity of the mental health issues I had experienced due to school pressure. One of those people is actually one of my Genders Professors, Nancy Butler. We had engaged in many conversations about my academics as she taught me in two of my courses this year. She became a huge support system for me, she was the only person I completely trusted to discuss my mental health and she supported me planning for academic success. As I had mentioned before, I never like to ask for help, but Prof. Butler has been the biggest help to me in getting my motivation back to become a successful student, she is actually the one that convinced me to write this appeal. Although I realize that If I am granted this appeal that the pressure to succeed will still be very present in my life, it was because of Prof. Butler through her advice and support that I realize that I need to start taking advantage of all the resources I can get whether that mean talking to more of my professors and using the counselling services provided by Queen's in order to get back on track, I need to start asking for help. I want to take the steps to be able to balance my emotions and academics in order to become the student I know I am, and I am asking for help to be able to do that.
My first step to getting back on track is writing this appeal letter to you, Associate Dean. I originally was not going to write this letter because I was afraid that my circumstances were not extenuating to be considered, but after much thought and discussion with Prof. Butler I realize that although I do not have any official documentation, my mental health greatly affected my studies since my low GPA in first year. I set myself up for failure and barely survived the last two years, but I have created an Academic Plan for success in the coming year and if I am granted to opportunity to return to Queen's I know that I will not let my final opportunity go to waste.
Kind Regards,
Keerthy Raja 20011171
My name is Keerthy Raja (20011171) and I am writing this appeal letter to you to request to waive the requirement to withdraw from studies for the upcoming academic year (2019-2020). I want to take the opportunity through this letter to explain the circumstances that have resulted in my current situation in hopes that this will allow you to have a better understanding when considering my appeal.
During my first year, I took different introduction courses to help guide my interests into a particular major. I came into university thinking that I wanted to become a politics major and since course selection was limited to quite generalized courses, I took a variety that I thought would be interesting. Most upper year students I had known told me that your grades would drop tremendously once you get to university, but I always thought that it only happened to people who never completed their work. However, as I was still getting used to university life and the work load, although all my work was completed, I still was not achieving the grades that I thought I would. I ended my first year with a really low GPA, something that I did not realize was so difficult to bring back up.
Since that first year, I had gotten really into my head about failing out of school. I developed so much constant anxiety about my family finding out how terrible my first year really was. I was completely ashamed, embarrassed, and disappointed in myself, but I was still determined to do much better during my second year. At this point, I defaulted into a Genders major because that was one of the only majors, I was able to get into because of my low GPA. Although I enjoyed Gender Studies, I was still looking to switch out of it because when thinking about a future career, I was not sure what I would be able to do with a degree in Genders. After doing research into careers in Public Relations, I began thinking that I should become an English major because I had seen Queen's Alumni go into the path once they completed their English degrees. So, during my second-year course selection, I decided to take ENGL100, since I had not taken it in first year, along with a bunch of elective classes hoping I would be able to switch into it at the end of the year. As the year went by however, I began to realize that English was not for me, I had absolutely zero interest in it. I broke down many times trying to figure out what direction I was supposed to be going in. The most interesting classes I was taking ended up being in Gender Studies and those courses were actually the only ones I was doing well in. But since I had plagued my schedule with electives, determined to be an English major, my GPA at the end of the year became an all-time low. I got so worried about getting kicked out of school, my mental health completely deteriorated during that summer, I became severely depressed because of the shame I felt about being a disappointment to myself and my family.
When I received the letter that placed me on Academic Probation, I was completely disappointed in myself, but I was still relieved that I was not getting kicked out of school. I went into third year determined to be able to become the student I used to be. After doing more research, I realized that I would still be able to obtain a PR certificate at a college program with an undergraduate degree in anything and after having attended Life After ArtSci, Genders and PR seem to go very well together. I was passionate about it and I was ready to finally accept myself as a Genders major. Despite my motivation to do well, my mental health issues took an even bigger toll on my third year. I was constantly and consistently so anxious about failing out of university. Every single morning when I woke up, it would be the first thing I thought about. The insurmountable pressure of trying to do really well in all of my classes or risk my GPA lowering even further took over my life. It felt as if I had dug a hole for myself that I could never get out of, a single mistake could push me deeper. Although this year I was able to have great attendance and I really enjoyed my classes and work, when it came down to my grades, they still were not where they needed to be for me to be able to bring my GPA back up to a Good Standing. The pressure and anxiety I felt to achieve the grades I needed was enormous, every day I thought about how I was never going to be able to do it and I should just quit now. I kept rationalizing it to myself but at the same time, I did not want to be a university drop-out, I know that I am a good student. Although I achieved better grades in some classes this year, they were not enough to outweigh the lower grades I got in other classes. Thus, the requirement to withdraw.
My mental health issues, specifically my anxiety and depression has severely and negatively affected my education since coming to university. I am never one to ask help. I grew up with parents not believing that mental illness was real and that being depressed was just a form of laziness. Even though their views have changed slightly in recent years, they never believed that their children would ever experience any sort of issue. It was engrained in me to think that I was being ridiculous and that my problems were never as bad as someone else's and since my parents absolutely do not believe in therapists, I never had someone to talk to about the way I was feeling. There are only 3 people in my life who even know of the severity of the mental health issues I had experienced due to school pressure. One of those people is actually one of my Genders Professors, Nancy Butler. We had engaged in many conversations about my academics as she taught me in two of my courses this year. She became a huge support system for me, she was the only person I completely trusted to discuss my mental health and she supported me planning for academic success. As I had mentioned before, I never like to ask for help, but Prof. Butler has been the biggest help to me in getting my motivation back to become a successful student, she is actually the one that convinced me to write this appeal. Although I realize that If I am granted this appeal that the pressure to succeed will still be very present in my life, it was because of Prof. Butler through her advice and support that I realize that I need to start taking advantage of all the resources I can get whether that mean talking to more of my professors and using the counselling services provided by Queen's in order to get back on track, I need to start asking for help. I want to take the steps to be able to balance my emotions and academics in order to become the student I know I am, and I am asking for help to be able to do that.
My first step to getting back on track is writing this appeal letter to you, Associate Dean. I originally was not going to write this letter because I was afraid that my circumstances were not extenuating to be considered, but after much thought and discussion with Prof. Butler I realize that although I do not have any official documentation, my mental health greatly affected my studies since my low GPA in first year. I set myself up for failure and barely survived the last two years, but I have created an Academic Plan for success in the coming year and if I am granted to opportunity to return to Queen's I know that I will not let my final opportunity go to waste.
Kind Regards,
Keerthy Raja 20011171
Academic Plan
Academic Plan: Academic Plan
Keerthy Raja 20011171
After being informed that I would be required to withdraw from studies for a year, I knew I did not want this to be my reality. Outlined in my appeal, the circumstances that led to my current situation would require taking advantage of the opportunities and services Queen's offers to ensure academic success for their students. In my academic plan, I will propose my goals I have set for myself and how I intend on achieving them.
Major: Gender Studies
I explored a variety of options when deciding on a major. Although Gender Studies was not my first choice when beginning university, I have come to realize that they are the courses I have most enjoyed throughout my years here and seems that it is the perfect fit for my goal of going into the Public Relations career field. When I had the opportunity to choose elective Genders courses, I did considerably better those than my prerequisite classes. In this upcoming year, I plan on retaking two of the prerequisite courses as well as the courses I had failed in order to raise my GPA. I would like to continue as a full-time student, but not exceed the 5-course load option because I do not want to over-extend myself during the year. I realize that I have the option to take less courses as well, but I would like to begin with the normal course load and work with an academic advisor throughout the year to track my progress and adjust my plan if needed.
One of the biggest mistakes I made throughout the years since beginning university was not asking for help when I needed it. I was never comfortable asking for help because I was embarrassed that my work was never good enough and I was intimidated. I have only went to visit a professor or teaching assistant a handful of times during the years and that was probably because I needed an extension on a paper. However, at the end of my third year, I began consistent communication with one of my professors, Nancy Butler. It really felt like she wants me to succeed and worked with me to be able to do well in her class. It was through the interactions I had with her that I realized that professors are much more understanding than I originally thought, and they want to see me be successful in their class as much as I do. I needed to start more academic related communications with more of professors which is why in the upcoming school year I will plan and make the time to consult the teaching team for a course regularly when I am unsure about assignments or content. Even if Prof. Butler is no longer my professor for a course, I will continue to consult her on my academics because I place such a high value on her advice and support.
Much of the work that is evaluated in Gender Studies comes from academic essays and there is likely no exam. There is so much weight put on these papers so doing well on those is key to doing well in the class. One of my issues this year was that although I think that I am a great writer, my thoughts can get really messy when written into a paper. I think that I can have hit or miss essays, but I think that if I am able to get more advice before handing it in, I would be able to do much better. In the upcoming year I plan on going to the Writing Centre to get consultations on some of my papers to see how I would be able to improve it overall. I would also be communicating more with teaching assistants and professors to ensure that the direction I have chosen for my paper is along the lines of what they are looking for.
My motivation and my mental health go hand in hand. Although my academics may not be my biggest gift, I was always considered a bright student and excellent writer. For many years I thought that I wanted to be a lawyer but when I started university, I realized that it was certainly not the direction I wanted to go into. I thought I wanted to be a Politics major, but I could not get into the program due to my low GPA, so I defaulted into a Genders Studies Major. My goal for the next year was to become an English major, but as I took ENGL100, I realized I had very little interest in studying literature. I was directionless for the first 2 years of university. Not knowing what I wanted to do at the end of my undergraduate degree really shunted my motivation and energy to do well. It felt as if I had exhausted all my options because it was getting too late to restart everything and at the time, I did not want to become a Genders Studies major. I had considered switching universities because I thought that another school would offer a better program more suitable but as I started my third year and took only Genders courses, it made me appreciate the faculty much more and realize that Gender Studies is the major I am supposed to be in.
Although I feel good about my decision continue with Gender Studies, this did not come easy. As I said in my appeal letter, I did not grow up which much of a support system at home. I learned to be independent and that failure was not an option. I think it was because these things were engrained into my head that I hated asking for help, whether that be in my academics or my personal life. Not knowing what I wanted to do mixed with the enormous pressure to succeed put a lot of weight on my shoulders. To this day I still consider my first year at Queen's the most regrettable academically. My GPA was so low at the end of the year that I put on the weight of having to do extremely well the next year if I did not want to get kicked out of school. To me, having that pressure created so much anxiety for me because I constantly thought that one mistake and I risk being a university drop out. I do not like talking about this kind of thing with anyone, I feel so embarrassed and ashamed by my grades and my status as a student that I kept it internalized for so long. It was not until I actually began to open up to one of my friends and, as I mentioned, Prof. Butler, that I finally felt that I was able to breathe. Prof. Butler's encouragement and advice allowed me to feel hopeful again. It was through these interactions that I realized that things are only going to get better if I take the step to go out and talk to someone. For my academics, I mentioned earlier that I plan on beginning to communicate with the Teaching Teams of my courses for further advice on assignments and content. As for my mental health, I never want it to get as bad as it did during my third year again. I want to begin going to counselling services offered on campus. I was always aware that they existed, but I never had the courage to go. I would like to start seeking advice for the Student Wellness Services Centre to see what they are able to do to help me cope with issues that I struggle with mentally. However, I am open to accessing professionals outside the university if needed. My parents may not approve but I believe that the only way I will be able to succeed in studies is if I had a healthy outlet to express my issues to be able to clear my head for my academics.
I hope that my academic plan gives you an insight into my goals for the upcoming year if my appeal is granted. As I said in my letter, I will not let my final opportunity go to waste. Now that I know what I want to do and I have this plan to guide me, I know that the barriers I faced in previous years will no longer be an issue and I will reach for the appropriate resources to help me throughout this year.
Keerthy Raja 20011171
After being informed that I would be required to withdraw from studies for a year, I knew I did not want this to be my reality. Outlined in my appeal, the circumstances that led to my current situation would require taking advantage of the opportunities and services Queen's offers to ensure academic success for their students. In my academic plan, I will propose my goals I have set for myself and how I intend on achieving them.
Major: Gender Studies
I explored a variety of options when deciding on a major. Although Gender Studies was not my first choice when beginning university, I have come to realize that they are the courses I have most enjoyed throughout my years here and seems that it is the perfect fit for my goal of going into the Public Relations career field. When I had the opportunity to choose elective Genders courses, I did considerably better those than my prerequisite classes. In this upcoming year, I plan on retaking two of the prerequisite courses as well as the courses I had failed in order to raise my GPA. I would like to continue as a full-time student, but not exceed the 5-course load option because I do not want to over-extend myself during the year. I realize that I have the option to take less courses as well, but I would like to begin with the normal course load and work with an academic advisor throughout the year to track my progress and adjust my plan if needed.
One of the biggest mistakes I made throughout the years since beginning university was not asking for help when I needed it. I was never comfortable asking for help because I was embarrassed that my work was never good enough and I was intimidated. I have only went to visit a professor or teaching assistant a handful of times during the years and that was probably because I needed an extension on a paper. However, at the end of my third year, I began consistent communication with one of my professors, Nancy Butler. It really felt like she wants me to succeed and worked with me to be able to do well in her class. It was through the interactions I had with her that I realized that professors are much more understanding than I originally thought, and they want to see me be successful in their class as much as I do. I needed to start more academic related communications with more of professors which is why in the upcoming school year I will plan and make the time to consult the teaching team for a course regularly when I am unsure about assignments or content. Even if Prof. Butler is no longer my professor for a course, I will continue to consult her on my academics because I place such a high value on her advice and support.
Much of the work that is evaluated in Gender Studies comes from academic essays and there is likely no exam. There is so much weight put on these papers so doing well on those is key to doing well in the class. One of my issues this year was that although I think that I am a great writer, my thoughts can get really messy when written into a paper. I think that I can have hit or miss essays, but I think that if I am able to get more advice before handing it in, I would be able to do much better. In the upcoming year I plan on going to the Writing Centre to get consultations on some of my papers to see how I would be able to improve it overall. I would also be communicating more with teaching assistants and professors to ensure that the direction I have chosen for my paper is along the lines of what they are looking for.
My motivation and my mental health go hand in hand. Although my academics may not be my biggest gift, I was always considered a bright student and excellent writer. For many years I thought that I wanted to be a lawyer but when I started university, I realized that it was certainly not the direction I wanted to go into. I thought I wanted to be a Politics major, but I could not get into the program due to my low GPA, so I defaulted into a Genders Studies Major. My goal for the next year was to become an English major, but as I took ENGL100, I realized I had very little interest in studying literature. I was directionless for the first 2 years of university. Not knowing what I wanted to do at the end of my undergraduate degree really shunted my motivation and energy to do well. It felt as if I had exhausted all my options because it was getting too late to restart everything and at the time, I did not want to become a Genders Studies major. I had considered switching universities because I thought that another school would offer a better program more suitable but as I started my third year and took only Genders courses, it made me appreciate the faculty much more and realize that Gender Studies is the major I am supposed to be in.
Although I feel good about my decision continue with Gender Studies, this did not come easy. As I said in my appeal letter, I did not grow up which much of a support system at home. I learned to be independent and that failure was not an option. I think it was because these things were engrained into my head that I hated asking for help, whether that be in my academics or my personal life. Not knowing what I wanted to do mixed with the enormous pressure to succeed put a lot of weight on my shoulders. To this day I still consider my first year at Queen's the most regrettable academically. My GPA was so low at the end of the year that I put on the weight of having to do extremely well the next year if I did not want to get kicked out of school. To me, having that pressure created so much anxiety for me because I constantly thought that one mistake and I risk being a university drop out. I do not like talking about this kind of thing with anyone, I feel so embarrassed and ashamed by my grades and my status as a student that I kept it internalized for so long. It was not until I actually began to open up to one of my friends and, as I mentioned, Prof. Butler, that I finally felt that I was able to breathe. Prof. Butler's encouragement and advice allowed me to feel hopeful again. It was through these interactions that I realized that things are only going to get better if I take the step to go out and talk to someone. For my academics, I mentioned earlier that I plan on beginning to communicate with the Teaching Teams of my courses for further advice on assignments and content. As for my mental health, I never want it to get as bad as it did during my third year again. I want to begin going to counselling services offered on campus. I was always aware that they existed, but I never had the courage to go. I would like to start seeking advice for the Student Wellness Services Centre to see what they are able to do to help me cope with issues that I struggle with mentally. However, I am open to accessing professionals outside the university if needed. My parents may not approve but I believe that the only way I will be able to succeed in studies is if I had a healthy outlet to express my issues to be able to clear my head for my academics.
I hope that my academic plan gives you an insight into my goals for the upcoming year if my appeal is granted. As I said in my letter, I will not let my final opportunity go to waste. Now that I know what I want to do and I have this plan to guide me, I know that the barriers I faced in previous years will no longer be an issue and I will reach for the appropriate resources to help me throughout this year.
Documentation
Professional Letter Detail: NO DOC
Documentation Detail: NO DOC