Petition Letter
To the Associate Dean of Art Sci, Dr. Naaman
I am petitioning to drop MATH 121 and the Faculty’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of one year.
Starting in October, I’ve been struggling to adapt to the university environment. Living off campus made it hard to meet new people and establish a support network. I entered a new environment with no one whom I knew while also learning to live by myself for the first time.
During October, I made efforts to build connections to help ease myself into this new environment. But as a result of my introverted nature and social anxiety, I found it hard to develop meaningful friendships. After getting myself into interpersonal conflicts, I damaged a lot of these connections, which then made me withdraw socially and stop building any meaningful connections. As a result, I spent much of the school year socially disconnected without a reliable support system.
Although I did fine in the first semester, I was feeling symptoms of social disconnect, periods of low mood and difficulty adjusting to independent living. Recognizing these symptoms needed to be addressed, I reached out to my family doctor for help.
As winter began, my situation significantly worsened. My social isolation increased; I lost interest in hobbies I used to enjoy, like badminton, and I started feeling prolonged periods of low mood. These challenges affected my academic performance for the second semester. I lost focus in class, lost motivation to keep on working, and lost sleep, which caused me to miss classes. I was overwhelmed by everything I had going on, not to mention I took 6 courses, which was more than I realistically could manage.
I never tried dropping any courses because I was hopeful of academically recovering and felt pressured to reach my plan selection credit quota. During this time, I became increasingly withdrawn and often went on weeks without seeking support.
Near exam week, I reached out to my doctor again, and he recommended that I talk to Student Mental Health Services since it was inconvenient for me to reach my family doctor for help in Thornhill while studying in Kingston. But by this time, it was too late, as my grade had plummeted and exams were coming up, so I felt that I couldn't dedicate the time to find the necessary help needed. I failed several of my courses as a result.
I sincerely ask for MATH 121 to be dropped from my record, as this was the course I struggled the most academically. I didn’t withdraw from the course before the deadline as I genuinely believed I was able to pass this course. By the time I realized it wasn’t realistic, the deadline had already passed.
I also respectfully ask to reconsider the requirement that I withdraw from Queen’s University for a year. I believe that requiring me to leave for a year would disrupt my adjustment to university life and cause me to lose many connections I’ve worked to build. Returning from a prolonged period would require me to start over socially and academically, making the transition even more difficult.
If I’m permitted to return the following year, I’ll retake my failed courses, reduce my course load to three courses per semester, and prioritize my academic recovery. I will also reach out to Queen’s Student Mental Health Services and register with QSAS to receive the appropriate academic support and develop healthier study habits and a more sustainable work-life balance.
I appreciate your time and consideration of my petition.
Sincerely,
Daniel Feng
20551744
I am petitioning to drop MATH 121 and the Faculty’s decision that I must withdraw from Queen’s for a minimum of one year.
Starting in October, I’ve been struggling to adapt to the university environment. Living off campus made it hard to meet new people and establish a support network. I entered a new environment with no one whom I knew while also learning to live by myself for the first time.
During October, I made efforts to build connections to help ease myself into this new environment. But as a result of my introverted nature and social anxiety, I found it hard to develop meaningful friendships. After getting myself into interpersonal conflicts, I damaged a lot of these connections, which then made me withdraw socially and stop building any meaningful connections. As a result, I spent much of the school year socially disconnected without a reliable support system.
Although I did fine in the first semester, I was feeling symptoms of social disconnect, periods of low mood and difficulty adjusting to independent living. Recognizing these symptoms needed to be addressed, I reached out to my family doctor for help.
As winter began, my situation significantly worsened. My social isolation increased; I lost interest in hobbies I used to enjoy, like badminton, and I started feeling prolonged periods of low mood. These challenges affected my academic performance for the second semester. I lost focus in class, lost motivation to keep on working, and lost sleep, which caused me to miss classes. I was overwhelmed by everything I had going on, not to mention I took 6 courses, which was more than I realistically could manage.
I never tried dropping any courses because I was hopeful of academically recovering and felt pressured to reach my plan selection credit quota. During this time, I became increasingly withdrawn and often went on weeks without seeking support.
Near exam week, I reached out to my doctor again, and he recommended that I talk to Student Mental Health Services since it was inconvenient for me to reach my family doctor for help in Thornhill while studying in Kingston. But by this time, it was too late, as my grade had plummeted and exams were coming up, so I felt that I couldn't dedicate the time to find the necessary help needed. I failed several of my courses as a result.
I sincerely ask for MATH 121 to be dropped from my record, as this was the course I struggled the most academically. I didn’t withdraw from the course before the deadline as I genuinely believed I was able to pass this course. By the time I realized it wasn’t realistic, the deadline had already passed.
I also respectfully ask to reconsider the requirement that I withdraw from Queen’s University for a year. I believe that requiring me to leave for a year would disrupt my adjustment to university life and cause me to lose many connections I’ve worked to build. Returning from a prolonged period would require me to start over socially and academically, making the transition even more difficult.
If I’m permitted to return the following year, I’ll retake my failed courses, reduce my course load to three courses per semester, and prioritize my academic recovery. I will also reach out to Queen’s Student Mental Health Services and register with QSAS to receive the appropriate academic support and develop healthier study habits and a more sustainable work-life balance.
I appreciate your time and consideration of my petition.
Sincerely,
Daniel Feng
20551744