Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Petition Letter: To the Associate Dean (Studies)
I am appealing to drop the course MATH 120 (Fall-Winter, 2014-2015).
I am currently a first year student in Artsci and concurrent education. My transition in coming to Queens has been very difficult for me. I have had an overwhelming amount of stress in my life this year related to school, health and family that has distracted me from my workload.
The course MATH 120 has provided me with most of the school related stress. I did not realize the skill set required for the course when I signed up for it. I regret considering another course, since I do not need require math for my major. With the majority of my time dedicated to studying for this course, I managed to pass with a 59 in first semester. However, despite seeking help from a tutor, I was unable to maintain a passing grade this semester. I found this course not only difficult in terms of content, but also due to the lack of other resources available to help me improve my understanding and my grade. At the time of the last drop date, I had not yet received my most recent grades and I believed, although it would be a challenge, I could still pass the course instead of wasted time and money on a credit. When my professor put the grades on moodle, and I realized this was no longer a realistic goal. At that point in time I did not know what to do. At first I felt ashamed and avoided the possibility that I may have to drop a course, but by the time I realized that my passing was unlikely, it was too late. With this in mind I started doing everything I could to understand the material, to the point it started to negatively affect my other courses. This is when I went to talk to an academic advises who suggested I appeal to drop the course.
My immune system has been poorly functioning due to my stresses about the course previously mention. I have found myself getting sick about once a month, and after January at least twice. There were many days where I was physically incapable of getting out of bed to go to my courses or even eat which set back my overall academic success. On average I started to feel better after a week thus I never saw it relevant to see a doctor. The added stress of trying to keep up with a course I do not understand, and do not need has continued to negatively affect my health.
I am also currently dealing with some very personal family issues that I would not like to discuss, however, they have had a big impact on my second semester. My parents have not formally admitted it to me but during winter break I discovered they were looking into separating, and that my father had loss his position at his job. When I came back from break this aspect of my life distracted me from preforming my usual school routines and I have not felt comfortable turning to my family for emotional support like in previous years. When I found out my problem with MATH 120 I felt like there was no way possible to inform them of what was happening which I would have in the past to get advice and reinsurance.
In the last month, although the stress of math and getting ill has had a negative impact on my life, I have been working on developing coping methods for stress relief such as exercising and eating properly as well as trying to maintain a positive attitude. I now know the importance of drop date deadlines and to research a course before I take it, in order to be prepared for it. I am hoping living outside of residence next year will improve my health by having a comfortable place to live with people I can trust and talk to. I feel like living where my food is will also improve my dietary issues forcing me to make healthier life choices. Lastly I have come to realize that if my mental state returns to be in the negative place that it was, it would be best for my health to talk to a personal counselor.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Tara Connelly