Petition Letter
I am writing to formally petition for credit standing off MATH 280 and STAT 268 from my academic transcript for the Fall 2023 semester. I encountered significant personal and medical challenges during this period, which severely impacted my ability to engage with and succeed in these courses.
In late August 2023, my grandfather, who was like a second father to me, became critically ill and was placed on a ventilator. This deeply affected me emotionally, leaving me anxious and unable to focus as the semester began. Tragically, on October 3, 2023, I received the devastating news of his passing. I immediately travelled to India on October 4 to perform his last rites and support my grieving family.
Living in a joint family, I had a very close bond with my grandfather. I was the only member of my family who was unable to say goodbye to him due to my presence in Canada, which left me feeling immense guilt and sadness for not being there during his final moments. This loss, combined with the responsibility of supporting my family through the grieving process, left me in a constant state of emotional distress.
I returned to Canada at the end of October, but by that time, I had missed an entire month of classes, including key assignments and midterms in all five of my courses. Although academic considerations allowed some assignment deadlines to be extended and reweighted the midterms toward the final exams, the stress of catching up, coupled with my grief, left me overwhelmed. I found myself unable to focus; attempts to study often ended with me staring blankly at the screen. The immense pressure to catch up created a vicious cycle: my inability to focus heightened my stress, and this stress further hindered my academic progress.
Initially, I thought I would be able to cope with these challenges, as I have always maintained a strong academic record and believed this was simply a rough patch. However, I underestimated the depth and complexity of the toll this event took on my mental health. During this time, my tachycardia also worsened. I typically experience tachycardiac episodes when I am anxious or physically exerting myself, and the stress and sadness I was experiencing made these episodes more frequent. My heart rate would increase to 150-200 bpm, making it difficult to breathe, eat, or even sit up straight. These episodes were often accompanied by severe headaches, leaving me unable to get out of bed. As a result, I missed important lectures and tutorials in MATH 280 and STAT 268. Missing lectures is highly unusual for me, as I understand their importance, and my inability to attend reflects the serious nature of my mental and physical health challenges during this time.
Over the month of November, I was gradually able to get a hold on my situation. I reached out to a counsellor from back home, which helped me address my anxiety, helped me cope with feeling sad all the time and regain focus on my studies. My tachycardia episodes became fewer and farther between, allowing me to better manage my workload. With the support of my friends, I successfully caught up in three of my courses—CISC 203, CISC 204, and CISC 221—and achieved a B+ in all of them. However, for MATH 280 and STAT 268, I found myself with insufficient time to study essentially the entire course. Additionally, I knew no one who was taking these courses with me, leaving me without peer support or guidance. Since the weightage of my missed midterms had been shifted to the finals, my grades in these courses suffered significantly as I was unable to perform well in the final exams.
Although I received a C+ in STAT 268, I hope it will still be considered in this petition. I firmly believe that I could have achieved a significantly better grade in the course had I not been facing the aforementioned challenges.
MATH 280 and STAT 268 are challenging courses, and I am confident that, under normal circumstances, I would have performed satisfactorily. I have worked diligently on my mental health and overall academic performance since then. In the Winter 2024 semester, I did not receive a single C grade, and in the Summer 2024 semester, I excelled in COMM 201 with an A+. My academic performance in these semesters demonstrates my resilience and ability to overcome the challenges of my grandfather’s passing.
Despite my best efforts to recover and continue with my courses, the cumulative impact of these extraordinary circumstances made it impossible for me to perform adequately in MATH 280 and STAT 268. I respectfully request that the committee consider these factors and grant the removal of these courses from my transcript.
Thank you for your time and understanding. Please let me know if any additional documentation or information is needed to support my petitions.
In late August 2023, my grandfather, who was like a second father to me, became critically ill and was placed on a ventilator. This deeply affected me emotionally, leaving me anxious and unable to focus as the semester began. Tragically, on October 3, 2023, I received the devastating news of his passing. I immediately travelled to India on October 4 to perform his last rites and support my grieving family.
Living in a joint family, I had a very close bond with my grandfather. I was the only member of my family who was unable to say goodbye to him due to my presence in Canada, which left me feeling immense guilt and sadness for not being there during his final moments. This loss, combined with the responsibility of supporting my family through the grieving process, left me in a constant state of emotional distress.
I returned to Canada at the end of October, but by that time, I had missed an entire month of classes, including key assignments and midterms in all five of my courses. Although academic considerations allowed some assignment deadlines to be extended and reweighted the midterms toward the final exams, the stress of catching up, coupled with my grief, left me overwhelmed. I found myself unable to focus; attempts to study often ended with me staring blankly at the screen. The immense pressure to catch up created a vicious cycle: my inability to focus heightened my stress, and this stress further hindered my academic progress.
Initially, I thought I would be able to cope with these challenges, as I have always maintained a strong academic record and believed this was simply a rough patch. However, I underestimated the depth and complexity of the toll this event took on my mental health. During this time, my tachycardia also worsened. I typically experience tachycardiac episodes when I am anxious or physically exerting myself, and the stress and sadness I was experiencing made these episodes more frequent. My heart rate would increase to 150-200 bpm, making it difficult to breathe, eat, or even sit up straight. These episodes were often accompanied by severe headaches, leaving me unable to get out of bed. As a result, I missed important lectures and tutorials in MATH 280 and STAT 268. Missing lectures is highly unusual for me, as I understand their importance, and my inability to attend reflects the serious nature of my mental and physical health challenges during this time.
Over the month of November, I was gradually able to get a hold on my situation. I reached out to a counsellor from back home, which helped me address my anxiety, helped me cope with feeling sad all the time and regain focus on my studies. My tachycardia episodes became fewer and farther between, allowing me to better manage my workload. With the support of my friends, I successfully caught up in three of my courses—CISC 203, CISC 204, and CISC 221—and achieved a B+ in all of them. However, for MATH 280 and STAT 268, I found myself with insufficient time to study essentially the entire course. Additionally, I knew no one who was taking these courses with me, leaving me without peer support or guidance. Since the weightage of my missed midterms had been shifted to the finals, my grades in these courses suffered significantly as I was unable to perform well in the final exams.
Although I received a C+ in STAT 268, I hope it will still be considered in this petition. I firmly believe that I could have achieved a significantly better grade in the course had I not been facing the aforementioned challenges.
MATH 280 and STAT 268 are challenging courses, and I am confident that, under normal circumstances, I would have performed satisfactorily. I have worked diligently on my mental health and overall academic performance since then. In the Winter 2024 semester, I did not receive a single C grade, and in the Summer 2024 semester, I excelled in COMM 201 with an A+. My academic performance in these semesters demonstrates my resilience and ability to overcome the challenges of my grandfather’s passing.
Despite my best efforts to recover and continue with my courses, the cumulative impact of these extraordinary circumstances made it impossible for me to perform adequately in MATH 280 and STAT 268. I respectfully request that the committee consider these factors and grant the removal of these courses from my transcript.
Thank you for your time and understanding. Please let me know if any additional documentation or information is needed to support my petitions.