Petition Letter
Dear petition committee,
I am petitioning for a retroactive withdrawal from my summer course, psyc 251, for compassionate/mental health reasons. I understand that Queen’s University honours commitment and integrity. However, Queen’s also nurtures an empathetic community and pridefully promotes student wellbeing. I acknowledge and understand that the deadline has passed for me to drop this course. My health circumstances since starting this course have significantly deteriorated, leading me to ultimately decide that dropping the course near the end of the term is the best option for me.
While I have tried and still am trying different methods to reduce mental health impairment in my education, this is a lengthy and difficult process I am navigating unsteadily. I have seen therapists, tried certain medications, and used short-term academic considerations this past academic year. I was hospitalized last winter due to a labeled ‘episodic condition’, as noted on my most recent academic consideration granted in April. This was the first time an episode like that has happened to me, and I am still trying to understand it myself. I am working with doctors and therapists to find the right diagnosis and medication to prevent them from interfering with my education further. Coming haphazardly, I had no indication that this episode would occur again this summer. I had no control or foresight when my mood shifted drastically in June and I felt overwhelmed simply keeping myself alive day-to-day. In the first-half of my psyc 251 course, I was able to keep up with the modules and assignments comfortably. Around the week of June 12-18, I started having more and more difficulty sleeping, eating, and leaving my apartment. This vicious cycle impairs you quite quickly, and its severity steadily increased until the week of July 3-9. These circumstances greatly impaired my ability to focus, think clearly, and stay on top of school work. Fortunately, I have parents willing to help me in this situation. I moved home from June 14 to July 7 to receive care from my parents. Back on my feet now, I realize I have fallen far behind in my summer course, amongst many other of my commitments this summer, and truly believe the best plan of action for my mental health and my transcript now is to drop the course. I will be retaking this course next summer to make up for the lost credit.
I am proactively taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again in the future. I have another therapy session lined up for July, and will meet with my doctor again in August to discuss any changes to medication before the school year. I have also started going through the QSAS intake guide and course to better equip for the upcoming academic year. I was hesitant to utilize these resources and support at first, both from Queen’s and my own healthcare providers. I was worried that the stigma around mental health would make professors, peers, or Queen’s University itself look at me differently. Evidently, I reached a breaking point, and was no longer able to keep up with my course without this support. Therefore, I will be making sure to better use the resources available to me to prepare me for a year and a future of academic success and resilience. I will be going in person to Student Wellness Services on Monday, July 17th to speak to a member of the team about my circumstances and receive a physician’s note to accompany my petition request. As a result of this situation, I would greatly appreciate your approval of my petition.
I am petitioning for a retroactive withdrawal from my summer course, psyc 251, for compassionate/mental health reasons. I understand that Queen’s University honours commitment and integrity. However, Queen’s also nurtures an empathetic community and pridefully promotes student wellbeing. I acknowledge and understand that the deadline has passed for me to drop this course. My health circumstances since starting this course have significantly deteriorated, leading me to ultimately decide that dropping the course near the end of the term is the best option for me.
While I have tried and still am trying different methods to reduce mental health impairment in my education, this is a lengthy and difficult process I am navigating unsteadily. I have seen therapists, tried certain medications, and used short-term academic considerations this past academic year. I was hospitalized last winter due to a labeled ‘episodic condition’, as noted on my most recent academic consideration granted in April. This was the first time an episode like that has happened to me, and I am still trying to understand it myself. I am working with doctors and therapists to find the right diagnosis and medication to prevent them from interfering with my education further. Coming haphazardly, I had no indication that this episode would occur again this summer. I had no control or foresight when my mood shifted drastically in June and I felt overwhelmed simply keeping myself alive day-to-day. In the first-half of my psyc 251 course, I was able to keep up with the modules and assignments comfortably. Around the week of June 12-18, I started having more and more difficulty sleeping, eating, and leaving my apartment. This vicious cycle impairs you quite quickly, and its severity steadily increased until the week of July 3-9. These circumstances greatly impaired my ability to focus, think clearly, and stay on top of school work. Fortunately, I have parents willing to help me in this situation. I moved home from June 14 to July 7 to receive care from my parents. Back on my feet now, I realize I have fallen far behind in my summer course, amongst many other of my commitments this summer, and truly believe the best plan of action for my mental health and my transcript now is to drop the course. I will be retaking this course next summer to make up for the lost credit.
I am proactively taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again in the future. I have another therapy session lined up for July, and will meet with my doctor again in August to discuss any changes to medication before the school year. I have also started going through the QSAS intake guide and course to better equip for the upcoming academic year. I was hesitant to utilize these resources and support at first, both from Queen’s and my own healthcare providers. I was worried that the stigma around mental health would make professors, peers, or Queen’s University itself look at me differently. Evidently, I reached a breaking point, and was no longer able to keep up with my course without this support. Therefore, I will be making sure to better use the resources available to me to prepare me for a year and a future of academic success and resilience. I will be going in person to Student Wellness Services on Monday, July 17th to speak to a member of the team about my circumstances and receive a physician’s note to accompany my petition request. As a result of this situation, I would greatly appreciate your approval of my petition.