Petition Letter
Hello,
This semester I have been dealing with a lot of mental heath trouble that has begun to greatly effect my performance in school and my ability to keep up with work as well as provide work of an adequate standard. While in September it wasn't an issue by late October it has begun to be a real issue. I did bring this up to my TA for the course as it began to be a concern of mine in my ability to attend tutorial and hand in my assignment. I intend to set up an appointment with my doctor for the soonest date possible to discuss my mental heath issues and seek appropriate treatment to help me deal better and could provide documentation if needed after an appointment. I want to be able to alleviate some pressure and allow myself some time to seek medical attention but with a 100 course load I do not have the time to focus on anything beyond school. I have seriously considered the possibility of taking a leave for the semester but realized that is not a valid possibility for me. I discussed this issue with my father as I was trying to sort out some solution that would allow me to stay in school but alleviate some stress so I could focus on mental health. POLS 243 while a very interesting course is firstly not a required course for me and secondly, the lack of assignments requires high performance on the one paper of the year and the final exam. I am positive I cannot perform well on either as my mental health has greatly affected my ability to work and for my brain to function well enough to write an acceptable paper or perform well on the exam. Another factor that is an issue with the course is the time slot (6:30 - 8:20 Wednesday evening) from having an overall completely lack of sleep being alert at this time is very difficult and after attending lecture I feel very mentally stimulated which makes it hard to unwind which I feel may have an affect on my ability to sleep. I have become extremely stressed over this one course in particular and the heavy subject matter at times has actually taken a bigger toll on my mental health. It gives me anxiety and along with other factors greatly affects my overall mood, sleep patterns (insomnia) and ability to perform the required tasks to assure passing grades in the course. I have been thinking for several weeks about this issue and after trying to come to a good solution I had a bit of a breakdown and realized I cannot have a 100 course load and be able to perform to a level which I or many other would accept in POLS243. I am really hoping you can understand my situation POLS243 is just too much for me to handle at this time and I want to take steps to get help and address my mental heath issues. My inability to perform in this class as a result of my mental heath issues I fear will only continue to detriment me and have a greater affect on my overall mental health. I do not want to have to drop out of school and I do not want my inability in a course to make me stoop further into a depression and continue to fuel my anxiety. I see this as my only option and I am hoping you are understanding and I have articulated myself well enough for you to allow me to drop POLS243 after the deadline.
Thank you,
Hannah Bennett
(if you have any further questions or need clarification in any way please contact me either by email: 14hb20@queensu.ca or by phone 613-806-2196)
This semester I have been dealing with a lot of mental heath trouble that has begun to greatly effect my performance in school and my ability to keep up with work as well as provide work of an adequate standard. While in September it wasn't an issue by late October it has begun to be a real issue. I did bring this up to my TA for the course as it began to be a concern of mine in my ability to attend tutorial and hand in my assignment. I intend to set up an appointment with my doctor for the soonest date possible to discuss my mental heath issues and seek appropriate treatment to help me deal better and could provide documentation if needed after an appointment. I want to be able to alleviate some pressure and allow myself some time to seek medical attention but with a 100 course load I do not have the time to focus on anything beyond school. I have seriously considered the possibility of taking a leave for the semester but realized that is not a valid possibility for me. I discussed this issue with my father as I was trying to sort out some solution that would allow me to stay in school but alleviate some stress so I could focus on mental health. POLS 243 while a very interesting course is firstly not a required course for me and secondly, the lack of assignments requires high performance on the one paper of the year and the final exam. I am positive I cannot perform well on either as my mental health has greatly affected my ability to work and for my brain to function well enough to write an acceptable paper or perform well on the exam. Another factor that is an issue with the course is the time slot (6:30 - 8:20 Wednesday evening) from having an overall completely lack of sleep being alert at this time is very difficult and after attending lecture I feel very mentally stimulated which makes it hard to unwind which I feel may have an affect on my ability to sleep. I have become extremely stressed over this one course in particular and the heavy subject matter at times has actually taken a bigger toll on my mental health. It gives me anxiety and along with other factors greatly affects my overall mood, sleep patterns (insomnia) and ability to perform the required tasks to assure passing grades in the course. I have been thinking for several weeks about this issue and after trying to come to a good solution I had a bit of a breakdown and realized I cannot have a 100 course load and be able to perform to a level which I or many other would accept in POLS243. I am really hoping you can understand my situation POLS243 is just too much for me to handle at this time and I want to take steps to get help and address my mental heath issues. My inability to perform in this class as a result of my mental heath issues I fear will only continue to detriment me and have a greater affect on my overall mental health. I do not want to have to drop out of school and I do not want my inability in a course to make me stoop further into a depression and continue to fuel my anxiety. I see this as my only option and I am hoping you are understanding and I have articulated myself well enough for you to allow me to drop POLS243 after the deadline.
Thank you,
Hannah Bennett
(if you have any further questions or need clarification in any way please contact me either by email: 14hb20@queensu.ca or by phone 613-806-2196)