Petition Letter
Dear Dr. Stephenson,
I am writing to you to petition the Faculty’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for the 2024-2025 school year. First, I sincerely apologize for submitting this petition letter after the deadline. After the school year ended, I was too scared to face the results of my choices and avoided checking any school-related communications until last week. I believe that my academic performance was severely affected by my poor mental health, especially in the second semester.
Since high school, I have had issues with my mental health. As a result, I did not manage my schoolwork properly. During Grade 10, from February to August 2021, I worked with a social worker to learn how to cope better (a letter of proof is attached below). Using the skills I learned with her, I finished high school with no problems. However, these skills were no longer effective when I reached university. I had trouble adjusting to a different university environment, particularly the academic and social differences. I had no support network to ease the transition from high school.
Part of my difficulties adjusting to university included time management issues. Since I only took three courses during the first semester, I managed to keep up with schoolwork, though it was a struggle to do so. However, I took five courses during the second semester, which I was not prepared to deal with. In high school, I had never taken more than four courses at a time; thus, I was not able to manage five difficult university-level courses. In the future, I will restrict my course load until I learn what strategies work best for me.
Also, during the second semester, I struggled heavily with my mental health. The difficulties I listed above (adjusting to a new environment, time management issues) are common in many students. However, these struggles were compounded by my mental health issues. I was not even interested in activities I usually enjoyed; under these conditions, it was near impossible to force myself to do challenging schoolwork. I was both ashamed and scared to face how poorly I was doing, and I was especially ashamed to admit that I needed help. Thus, these issues went untreated and started in early February, getting worse throughout the semester. Since they were untreated, I do not have medical documentation. However, my brother witnessed my struggles and has verified that I had issues with my mental health in a letter attached below. As well, one of my professors reached out to me and was aware that I was struggling - I have attached some emails where I told him briefly about my situation.
Once again, I sincerely apologize for submitting my petition after the deadline. Thank you very much for your kind consideration and compassion. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Melody Cao
I am writing to you to petition the Faculty’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for the 2024-2025 school year. First, I sincerely apologize for submitting this petition letter after the deadline. After the school year ended, I was too scared to face the results of my choices and avoided checking any school-related communications until last week. I believe that my academic performance was severely affected by my poor mental health, especially in the second semester.
Since high school, I have had issues with my mental health. As a result, I did not manage my schoolwork properly. During Grade 10, from February to August 2021, I worked with a social worker to learn how to cope better (a letter of proof is attached below). Using the skills I learned with her, I finished high school with no problems. However, these skills were no longer effective when I reached university. I had trouble adjusting to a different university environment, particularly the academic and social differences. I had no support network to ease the transition from high school.
Part of my difficulties adjusting to university included time management issues. Since I only took three courses during the first semester, I managed to keep up with schoolwork, though it was a struggle to do so. However, I took five courses during the second semester, which I was not prepared to deal with. In high school, I had never taken more than four courses at a time; thus, I was not able to manage five difficult university-level courses. In the future, I will restrict my course load until I learn what strategies work best for me.
Also, during the second semester, I struggled heavily with my mental health. The difficulties I listed above (adjusting to a new environment, time management issues) are common in many students. However, these struggles were compounded by my mental health issues. I was not even interested in activities I usually enjoyed; under these conditions, it was near impossible to force myself to do challenging schoolwork. I was both ashamed and scared to face how poorly I was doing, and I was especially ashamed to admit that I needed help. Thus, these issues went untreated and started in early February, getting worse throughout the semester. Since they were untreated, I do not have medical documentation. However, my brother witnessed my struggles and has verified that I had issues with my mental health in a letter attached below. As well, one of my professors reached out to me and was aware that I was struggling - I have attached some emails where I told him briefly about my situation.
Once again, I sincerely apologize for submitting my petition after the deadline. Thank you very much for your kind consideration and compassion. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Melody Cao