Petition Letter
Hello,
I am writing to you today to appeal for dropping many of my courses from last year after the deadline. Over the past year, I have been grappling with the intersecting challenges of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression. These conditions have presented formidable obstacles that have hindered my academic progress and undermined my performance in ways that I did not foresee.
Over the last year there have been many occurrences of personal tragedy that have made a pre-existing depression truly unmanageable over the last twelve months. Without going into graphic detail or too deeply into personal events, the events I am referencing are the death of two very close friends and the subsequent emotional fallout in their absences. I have grown accustomed to working through periods of intense depression and having that period eventually turn around into a more regular mode of being. Due to the regularity of shorter depressive occurrences I have grown used to expecting a turn around for my mood should I “push through”. As a result of this I was expecting for things to always turn around and get better soon enough. This however was not the case, and the resulting frustration with myself for not feeling better made it worse. Only after receiving a great deal of support from family and friends was I able to fully understand how far my performance academically had dropped drastically and dramatically.
Furthermore, ADHD makes it difficult for managing my emotional state, executive function, and time management. In combination with the aforementioned depressive state, this made submitting an appeal extremely difficult. My emotional state was incredibly fragile and I did not want to damage the progress I had made towards overcoming depression by recognizing the dire straits my academics were in. Only after overcoming more of the depression have I been able to work with my therapist to minimize my ADHD and begin to address my academic problems.
I want to assure you that my struggles with ADHD and depression are not excuses for my shortcomings but rather explanations that shed light on the complexities of my situation. I take full responsibility for my academic performance, or lack thereof, and I am committed to doing everything in my power to rectify the situation and demonstrate my potential to succeed.
I understand that academic institutions must uphold certain standards and expectations, but I fervently believe that my circumstances warrant consideration and compassion. I am not asking for special treatment or leniency but rather for understanding and support as I navigate this challenging chapter of my life.
In closing, I want to express my sincere gratitude for taking the time to consider my appeal. I am genuinely passionate about my academic pursuits, and I am determined to overcome the obstacles that stand in my way. With your understanding, I am confident that I can rise above these challenges and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever before.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
James McGilvray
I am writing to you today to appeal for dropping many of my courses from last year after the deadline. Over the past year, I have been grappling with the intersecting challenges of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and depression. These conditions have presented formidable obstacles that have hindered my academic progress and undermined my performance in ways that I did not foresee.
Over the last year there have been many occurrences of personal tragedy that have made a pre-existing depression truly unmanageable over the last twelve months. Without going into graphic detail or too deeply into personal events, the events I am referencing are the death of two very close friends and the subsequent emotional fallout in their absences. I have grown accustomed to working through periods of intense depression and having that period eventually turn around into a more regular mode of being. Due to the regularity of shorter depressive occurrences I have grown used to expecting a turn around for my mood should I “push through”. As a result of this I was expecting for things to always turn around and get better soon enough. This however was not the case, and the resulting frustration with myself for not feeling better made it worse. Only after receiving a great deal of support from family and friends was I able to fully understand how far my performance academically had dropped drastically and dramatically.
Furthermore, ADHD makes it difficult for managing my emotional state, executive function, and time management. In combination with the aforementioned depressive state, this made submitting an appeal extremely difficult. My emotional state was incredibly fragile and I did not want to damage the progress I had made towards overcoming depression by recognizing the dire straits my academics were in. Only after overcoming more of the depression have I been able to work with my therapist to minimize my ADHD and begin to address my academic problems.
I want to assure you that my struggles with ADHD and depression are not excuses for my shortcomings but rather explanations that shed light on the complexities of my situation. I take full responsibility for my academic performance, or lack thereof, and I am committed to doing everything in my power to rectify the situation and demonstrate my potential to succeed.
I understand that academic institutions must uphold certain standards and expectations, but I fervently believe that my circumstances warrant consideration and compassion. I am not asking for special treatment or leniency but rather for understanding and support as I navigate this challenging chapter of my life.
In closing, I want to express my sincere gratitude for taking the time to consider my appeal. I am genuinely passionate about my academic pursuits, and I am determined to overcome the obstacles that stand in my way. With your understanding, I am confident that I can rise above these challenges and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever before.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
James McGilvray