Petition Letter
I am submitting this petition to request a late course drop due to extenuating personal and mental health circumstances that significantly impacted my academic performance during the winter semester. The challenges I faced were cumulative and eventually affected my capacity to keep a consistent academic schedule and perform at my normal level.
After winter break, I experienced a major decline in my mental and emotional well-being, resulting in difficulties in regaining a stable academic rhythm. I started to feel really homesick and emotionally overwhelmed which affected my motivation, focus and ability to be consistent with my coursework.Living arrangements also became a major challenge for me during this period. My roommate and I had grown closer and as an international student adjusting to university life, she leaned on me a lot for academic and personal support. Her schedule was also often in conflict with mine, simultaneously. She would stay up very late at night, talking or studying in the room, and I would be disturbed in my sleep. I tried to tell people I needed to sleep, I tried and tried but I could not keep a healthy sleeping schedule.
As a result, sleep deprivation became chronic. I was in class, I was doing assignments, and I was tired. It really affected my ability to focus and remember things and do well in my classes. I felt like I was falling behind, not because I wasn’t trying, but because I just couldn’t physically or mentally perform at my normal level. Additionally, I played a significant role in supporting my roommate in her coursework because she had difficulty grasping expectations and lacked other support systems. I had this feeling that I needed to help her, and I knew that I could balance her needs with my schoolwork. Looking back, that was a mistake. I took on too much and didn’t have good boundaries, this just took away the time and energy I had for my own studies.
Simultaneously my closest personal relationships collapsed dramatically. I had a rough time with a good friend, which made me feel really betrayed and cut off from everyone. It was especially tough because it was with people I had known and trusted forever. This created ongoing emotional distress and made it difficult for me to feel stable or supported in my environment. This situation also took a toll on my romantic relationship, which became increasingly unhealthy and emotionally draining. There was constant conflict and emotional strain and I was always overwhelmed trying to do it all at the same time. And this combination of stressors made it difficult for me to focus on my academics. My mental state got worse throughout the semester.Another reason was that I couldn’t reach out for support. As the older sibling, I grew up learning to deal with things myself and not show when I’m having a hard time. This semester I internalized everything instead of asking for help even though my situation was getting worse. Consequently, I did not seek help until my academic performance was severely impacted. I’m fully responsible for my academic performance this semester. These factors had a big role in my performance, but I acknowledge that I could have reached out for help earlier and handled my situation better.
Since then, I've taken action to deal with these problems by getting in touch with Student Wellness Services (see the appointment confirmation attached) and trying to improve my routines, which include making sleep a priority, establishing boundaries, and asking for help when I need it. For me, this encounter has been a significant turning point. I now have a much better grasp of my limitations and the significance of preserving my own welfare. I'm determined to put these adjustments into practice going forward and prove that this semester does not accurately represent my academic aptitude. I am certain that I can improve my academic position with the actions I am now taking.
After winter break, I experienced a major decline in my mental and emotional well-being, resulting in difficulties in regaining a stable academic rhythm. I started to feel really homesick and emotionally overwhelmed which affected my motivation, focus and ability to be consistent with my coursework.Living arrangements also became a major challenge for me during this period. My roommate and I had grown closer and as an international student adjusting to university life, she leaned on me a lot for academic and personal support. Her schedule was also often in conflict with mine, simultaneously. She would stay up very late at night, talking or studying in the room, and I would be disturbed in my sleep. I tried to tell people I needed to sleep, I tried and tried but I could not keep a healthy sleeping schedule.
As a result, sleep deprivation became chronic. I was in class, I was doing assignments, and I was tired. It really affected my ability to focus and remember things and do well in my classes. I felt like I was falling behind, not because I wasn’t trying, but because I just couldn’t physically or mentally perform at my normal level. Additionally, I played a significant role in supporting my roommate in her coursework because she had difficulty grasping expectations and lacked other support systems. I had this feeling that I needed to help her, and I knew that I could balance her needs with my schoolwork. Looking back, that was a mistake. I took on too much and didn’t have good boundaries, this just took away the time and energy I had for my own studies.
Simultaneously my closest personal relationships collapsed dramatically. I had a rough time with a good friend, which made me feel really betrayed and cut off from everyone. It was especially tough because it was with people I had known and trusted forever. This created ongoing emotional distress and made it difficult for me to feel stable or supported in my environment. This situation also took a toll on my romantic relationship, which became increasingly unhealthy and emotionally draining. There was constant conflict and emotional strain and I was always overwhelmed trying to do it all at the same time. And this combination of stressors made it difficult for me to focus on my academics. My mental state got worse throughout the semester.Another reason was that I couldn’t reach out for support. As the older sibling, I grew up learning to deal with things myself and not show when I’m having a hard time. This semester I internalized everything instead of asking for help even though my situation was getting worse. Consequently, I did not seek help until my academic performance was severely impacted. I’m fully responsible for my academic performance this semester. These factors had a big role in my performance, but I acknowledge that I could have reached out for help earlier and handled my situation better.
Since then, I've taken action to deal with these problems by getting in touch with Student Wellness Services (see the appointment confirmation attached) and trying to improve my routines, which include making sleep a priority, establishing boundaries, and asking for help when I need it. For me, this encounter has been a significant turning point. I now have a much better grasp of my limitations and the significance of preserving my own welfare. I'm determined to put these adjustments into practice going forward and prove that this semester does not accurately represent my academic aptitude. I am certain that I can improve my academic position with the actions I am now taking.