Petition Letter
Dear Johanne Bénard,
I refer to your letter dated 24 May 2016 and am writing to appeal the decision that I must withdraw for one year from the Faculty of Arts and Science, effective May 24, 2016.
Since December 2015 I have been suffering from a case of Major Depressive Disorder which has had a significant impact on my academic performance. The typical symptoms I have faced until recently include fatigue (generally lasting throughout the day), apprehension and insomnia. Coupled with significant weight loss ( 5kg in the first two weeks), this illness significantly incapacitated me from fulfilling my academic responsibilities during the fall exam period. I went to see Dr. Lett (Queens Student Wellness Services) on December 7 2015, who referred me to a psychiatrist on the same day. I first met with my psychiatrist, Dr. O Brien, on December 18 2015 who then prescribed me medication and advised me, amongst other things to take good care of my health, and not ruin it at the expense of academic work. Following his advice, I submitted a Verification of Illness form to my faculty and applied for academic accommodation, which was ultimately approved, deferring my fall exams to the next semester.
Despite having extra time to recover and revise for my upcoming examinations, the amount I could do was largely out of my control. The medication I was taking disrupted my sleep by a significant extent and largely lowered my appetite, which sharply reduced my span of focus in revising the previous semesters work. Not wanting to give up, I proceeded to do my examinations in January 2016 without further delay. I completed my Biology and Chemistry examinations, but a further sharp deterioration in health (vomiting, profuse sweating and tremors) gave me no choice but to delay my remaining exams in Mathematics and Politics. Having to periodically revise the previous semesters materials and keep up with my present courses in parallel gave me a great deal of pressure, both physically and mentally.
Throughout the course of my illness I have been doing what I could to allow me to get some work done. I made myself eat three balanced meals a day (despite having no appetite whatsoever), do exercise and utilize productivity techniques (such as the Pomodoro) to increase my efficiency. I understood that it was in my best interest to do sufficiently well (i.e. pass my courses), otherwise there was little point in going to university. Even so, I did not see any marked improvement until late March 2016. However, it was simply not possible for me to keep up with the pace of work with such physical and mental symptoms in place. By the time my health improved in the end of March, I did not have enough time to catch up and it essentially ensured that I would fail most, if not all my courses.
At the present moment, my negative symptoms have lowered in severity. Some previous symptoms such as insomnia and apprehension are gone and I m confident I can eliminate any remaining symptoms in time for September 2016. Generally, my health situation has stabilized since the Easter Weekend and in addition my weight is back to normal (63 kg). In the meantime, I m also taking summer courses to not only raise my GPA, but to give me some additional flexibility in adjusting my academic plan. I can also study normally with a normal span of focus and determination. In other words, I m doing what I can to remedy the present situation I m in, which I believe I had little power over during the past semester and especially during December.
To ensure I can continue my academic studies with the rigor expected of me, I aim to switch from Bachelors of Science (Honours) to Bachelors of Arts (Honours) in Geography, once I raise my GPA sufficiently to select this plan of study. My reasons for choosing this subject include my previous experience as a Scout Instructor and my work as a Research Assistant in Indonesia during 2013. Unlike Biochemistry (the initial field I wished to go into), I have prior experience with this subject. I feel this is not only a sensible option for me but one I will actually enjoy, even if (for the sake of argument) I have a high GPA. Lastly, I still intend to take a normal course load (30 units) as I strongly believe that I can fully recover in the coming three months
In conclusion, I believe my poor first year academic performance was mainly caused by an unexpected illness which was beyond my control, but I have had great improvements in all aspects of my health since the end of March this year, and I am able to study normally for my summer courses. I have the full confidence and determination that I can meet all future academic requirements throughout my university study. I truly treasure all the learning opportunities available to me at Queens.
In light of the above, I urge you to reconsider your decision to require me to withdraw for a year from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Yours Sincerely,
Nathan Cheung
I refer to your letter dated 24 May 2016 and am writing to appeal the decision that I must withdraw for one year from the Faculty of Arts and Science, effective May 24, 2016.
Since December 2015 I have been suffering from a case of Major Depressive Disorder which has had a significant impact on my academic performance. The typical symptoms I have faced until recently include fatigue (generally lasting throughout the day), apprehension and insomnia. Coupled with significant weight loss ( 5kg in the first two weeks), this illness significantly incapacitated me from fulfilling my academic responsibilities during the fall exam period. I went to see Dr. Lett (Queens Student Wellness Services) on December 7 2015, who referred me to a psychiatrist on the same day. I first met with my psychiatrist, Dr. O Brien, on December 18 2015 who then prescribed me medication and advised me, amongst other things to take good care of my health, and not ruin it at the expense of academic work. Following his advice, I submitted a Verification of Illness form to my faculty and applied for academic accommodation, which was ultimately approved, deferring my fall exams to the next semester.
Despite having extra time to recover and revise for my upcoming examinations, the amount I could do was largely out of my control. The medication I was taking disrupted my sleep by a significant extent and largely lowered my appetite, which sharply reduced my span of focus in revising the previous semesters work. Not wanting to give up, I proceeded to do my examinations in January 2016 without further delay. I completed my Biology and Chemistry examinations, but a further sharp deterioration in health (vomiting, profuse sweating and tremors) gave me no choice but to delay my remaining exams in Mathematics and Politics. Having to periodically revise the previous semesters materials and keep up with my present courses in parallel gave me a great deal of pressure, both physically and mentally.
Throughout the course of my illness I have been doing what I could to allow me to get some work done. I made myself eat three balanced meals a day (despite having no appetite whatsoever), do exercise and utilize productivity techniques (such as the Pomodoro) to increase my efficiency. I understood that it was in my best interest to do sufficiently well (i.e. pass my courses), otherwise there was little point in going to university. Even so, I did not see any marked improvement until late March 2016. However, it was simply not possible for me to keep up with the pace of work with such physical and mental symptoms in place. By the time my health improved in the end of March, I did not have enough time to catch up and it essentially ensured that I would fail most, if not all my courses.
At the present moment, my negative symptoms have lowered in severity. Some previous symptoms such as insomnia and apprehension are gone and I m confident I can eliminate any remaining symptoms in time for September 2016. Generally, my health situation has stabilized since the Easter Weekend and in addition my weight is back to normal (63 kg). In the meantime, I m also taking summer courses to not only raise my GPA, but to give me some additional flexibility in adjusting my academic plan. I can also study normally with a normal span of focus and determination. In other words, I m doing what I can to remedy the present situation I m in, which I believe I had little power over during the past semester and especially during December.
To ensure I can continue my academic studies with the rigor expected of me, I aim to switch from Bachelors of Science (Honours) to Bachelors of Arts (Honours) in Geography, once I raise my GPA sufficiently to select this plan of study. My reasons for choosing this subject include my previous experience as a Scout Instructor and my work as a Research Assistant in Indonesia during 2013. Unlike Biochemistry (the initial field I wished to go into), I have prior experience with this subject. I feel this is not only a sensible option for me but one I will actually enjoy, even if (for the sake of argument) I have a high GPA. Lastly, I still intend to take a normal course load (30 units) as I strongly believe that I can fully recover in the coming three months
In conclusion, I believe my poor first year academic performance was mainly caused by an unexpected illness which was beyond my control, but I have had great improvements in all aspects of my health since the end of March this year, and I am able to study normally for my summer courses. I have the full confidence and determination that I can meet all future academic requirements throughout my university study. I truly treasure all the learning opportunities available to me at Queens.
In light of the above, I urge you to reconsider your decision to require me to withdraw for a year from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Yours Sincerely,
Nathan Cheung