Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: I am looking to appeal for a late drop in courses LLCU 110 and FILM 226 (Fall, 2017). I am also looking to appeal for a CR in SPAN 204(Fall, 2017).


In 2017, shortly before my second year at Queen¿¿s University began, I went through a difficult and unprecedented personal experience that had left me in a deep state of depression and rendered me unable to do anything academically. When I first noticed that my ability to pay attention in class was hindered by the memory and ongoing processing of my situation, I dropped three courses ahead of the drop deadline, thinking that if I have a lighter course load, it might give me time to spend more time on each course. This, however, did not solve the problem and, in fact, my situation worsened. As the days became shorter and the work in the remaining classes started to pile up, I stopped going to class altogether and stayed in bed usually until way in the afternoon. I might only have gone to two LLCU 110 classes all year, and not many more in FILM 226. I remember seeing two screenings and then never returned to the Isabel for classes. I managed not to get a failing grade in my SPAN 204 course by showing up to the exam after missing classes for more than 5 weeks but was very unprepared and surprised that I even passed the exam, let alone the course. During this time, I found myself unable to attend social functions or going out with friends. I felt very anxious any time I even thought about reaching out to counselling or help from my parents. After the 2017 Fall semester, I had a conversation with my parents over the Christmas break and they helped me find a psychiatrist to talk to and work things through with. After prescribing an anti-depressant, the psychiatrist recommended me for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT, which I started on January 31st, 2018. I have since completed the 12 week program and continue to work on my well-being. CBT was very helpful as a way of engaging in a group setting once a week, and also to talk about my issues with people my age from all walks of life who were going through similar problems. Therapy helped tremendously to establish, even in a minimal sense, some kind of routine for me, which was a big part of getting back to where I am now. There is still a lot of room for improvement as far as my mental health goes, but for the past months things have been trending upward for me and I think going back to classes and being able to listen and learn will play a big part in my mental improvement.

In the upcoming Winter, 2020 semester, I am planning to take three courses. The idea behind this is to not over-do it after a two year absence but also to keep myself mostly busy. I believe a course load of three reaches a healthy middle ground for a student in my situation. I continue to see my family doctor every month to make sure everything is going well and moving forward.

Thank you for your consideration,

Michel Kraus de Camargo