Petition Letter
Dear Associate Dean,
I am writing to Petition for Late Course Drop from PSYC 100 and HLTH 101 from the Fall and Winter 2023/24 sessions.
I was ready and excited to begin Queen’s University as a first-year student in Fall 2023. Having been previously diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (Generalized Anxiety Disorder - GAD), I requested and received a single dormitory room and prepared with supportive psychotherapy prior to starting University.
At Queen’s, once fully into the first semester, my mind was unusually distracted and often disengaged. I had issues with time management, procrastination, memory, and was unable to sustain focus. I was committed to schoolwork, but unaware I had an undiagnosed health issue that would impact my studies in new ways. In late November 2023, a pivotal situation occurred: I received an automatic failure on my Political Science 100 Fall semester final paper for unknowingly submitting my essay without a second academic integrity acknowledgement (after signing one in September). Regardless of the TA telling the class, I hadn’t registered it was needed twice and I didn’t remember being told about it. I’ve always been a diligent student, and the shock of missing a base requirement with such severe consequences triggered stress that seeped into everything remaining, including throughout my Winter semester. I was ashamed, distracted, and knowing it was impossible for me to succeed, I dropped classes to lessen my anxiety and re-focus on fewer courses. But I continued to struggle with scheduling, focus and memory in ways I hadn’t experienced before. By the end of my first year, I knew I had not met my full academic potential, including failing PSYC 100 and HLTH 101, but I also knew I was facing something different. In Spring, I finally felt able to take the steps to get help.
In April, I went back to my therapist who recommended I seek further psychiatric assessment for symptoms unrelated to anxiety. In May, after assessments at The ADHD Clinic, I was diagnosed for the first time with ADHD, Inattentive Presentation. I am advised it is this ADHD that deeply affected my ability to focus, retain even simple information, and meet deadlines. It also impaired my executive functioning and decision-making skills in processes and exams, particularly multiple choice. Now I know that I was struggling with an undiagnosed disability. For me, it combined with GAD to impact my studies in ways I could not have foreseen or prepared for without a diagnosis (please see attached supporting documentation).
This ADHD presented unique challenges to my academics last year but I am grateful to find out that resources do exist to help me, both at Queen’s and in the community. On May 22, I contacted Queen’s Academic Advising and was talked through resources to assist me going forward. In mid-June, I started ADHD medication and therapeutic skills coaching for ADHD student success while continuing psychotherapy. On June 17, I received the required medical documentation and registered with QSAS via Ventus. I have now had several helpful advisory appointments with SASS and QSAS for my 2024-25 year and have received Glean software and begun new processes that I am using in this semester’s studies.
Having ADHD is something I cannot change, but I am working every day to manage. While all of my subjects were impacted last year, I’ve proven I can succeed in some assignments and classes – perhaps those that organize differently or measure learnings differently. I am working to understand those differences to better replicate past successes. Furthermore, while I will have to work harder and create new tools for myself, I now know I don’t have to navigate this new diagnosis alone. Counselling is helping me build an action plan and understand how to speak to my advisors, TAs and Professors about my learning development. I have already started to use my new skills and Student Services resources to set up and share my strategies throughout the year to keep me on track with assignments and to help me be accountable to my goals.
I am increasingly understanding my unique mental health situation and believe that with my renewed sense of determination, ongoing medication and therapy, use of Queen’s available supports, as well as a commitment to communicate my needs, I will be a productive, academically successful Queen’s student. With this in mind, I respectfully request your approval of this Petition to Drop PSYC 100 and HLTH 101 from my transcript as I renew my studies at Queen’s.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Ty Hamilton
Student Number: 20406422
Tel: 416-508-9027
I am writing to Petition for Late Course Drop from PSYC 100 and HLTH 101 from the Fall and Winter 2023/24 sessions.
I was ready and excited to begin Queen’s University as a first-year student in Fall 2023. Having been previously diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (Generalized Anxiety Disorder - GAD), I requested and received a single dormitory room and prepared with supportive psychotherapy prior to starting University.
At Queen’s, once fully into the first semester, my mind was unusually distracted and often disengaged. I had issues with time management, procrastination, memory, and was unable to sustain focus. I was committed to schoolwork, but unaware I had an undiagnosed health issue that would impact my studies in new ways. In late November 2023, a pivotal situation occurred: I received an automatic failure on my Political Science 100 Fall semester final paper for unknowingly submitting my essay without a second academic integrity acknowledgement (after signing one in September). Regardless of the TA telling the class, I hadn’t registered it was needed twice and I didn’t remember being told about it. I’ve always been a diligent student, and the shock of missing a base requirement with such severe consequences triggered stress that seeped into everything remaining, including throughout my Winter semester. I was ashamed, distracted, and knowing it was impossible for me to succeed, I dropped classes to lessen my anxiety and re-focus on fewer courses. But I continued to struggle with scheduling, focus and memory in ways I hadn’t experienced before. By the end of my first year, I knew I had not met my full academic potential, including failing PSYC 100 and HLTH 101, but I also knew I was facing something different. In Spring, I finally felt able to take the steps to get help.
In April, I went back to my therapist who recommended I seek further psychiatric assessment for symptoms unrelated to anxiety. In May, after assessments at The ADHD Clinic, I was diagnosed for the first time with ADHD, Inattentive Presentation. I am advised it is this ADHD that deeply affected my ability to focus, retain even simple information, and meet deadlines. It also impaired my executive functioning and decision-making skills in processes and exams, particularly multiple choice. Now I know that I was struggling with an undiagnosed disability. For me, it combined with GAD to impact my studies in ways I could not have foreseen or prepared for without a diagnosis (please see attached supporting documentation).
This ADHD presented unique challenges to my academics last year but I am grateful to find out that resources do exist to help me, both at Queen’s and in the community. On May 22, I contacted Queen’s Academic Advising and was talked through resources to assist me going forward. In mid-June, I started ADHD medication and therapeutic skills coaching for ADHD student success while continuing psychotherapy. On June 17, I received the required medical documentation and registered with QSAS via Ventus. I have now had several helpful advisory appointments with SASS and QSAS for my 2024-25 year and have received Glean software and begun new processes that I am using in this semester’s studies.
Having ADHD is something I cannot change, but I am working every day to manage. While all of my subjects were impacted last year, I’ve proven I can succeed in some assignments and classes – perhaps those that organize differently or measure learnings differently. I am working to understand those differences to better replicate past successes. Furthermore, while I will have to work harder and create new tools for myself, I now know I don’t have to navigate this new diagnosis alone. Counselling is helping me build an action plan and understand how to speak to my advisors, TAs and Professors about my learning development. I have already started to use my new skills and Student Services resources to set up and share my strategies throughout the year to keep me on track with assignments and to help me be accountable to my goals.
I am increasingly understanding my unique mental health situation and believe that with my renewed sense of determination, ongoing medication and therapy, use of Queen’s available supports, as well as a commitment to communicate my needs, I will be a productive, academically successful Queen’s student. With this in mind, I respectfully request your approval of this Petition to Drop PSYC 100 and HLTH 101 from my transcript as I renew my studies at Queen’s.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Ty Hamilton
Student Number: 20406422
Tel: 416-508-9027