Petition Letter
Dear Associate Dean (Studies),
I am writing this letter because I want to be able to finish my degree and graduate by continuing study in the Fall.
Before transferring to Queen¿¿s, everything was smooth, my family, financial situation, and my academics. The first year I was at Queen¿¿s, my family started having issues¿ mainly as a result of my parents fighting a lot and numerous daily phone calls from home. I was responsible for problem solving immigration challenges for my mother and doing daily interpreting for my parents. English is not my first language or the first language of my parents. There was a great deal of family stress and frequent crises and I was impacted and disrupted.
Starting second year at Queen¿¿s, I no longer had financial support from my parents, and I started working 2 to 3 different jobs in order to financially survive. Most weeks I worked, 25 hours a week along with dealing with my family¿¿s issues and maintaining course work in 5 courses. I worked a lot, but at the same time I wanted to improve my academics since I was placed on academic probation for a year. I was handling everything on my own and didn¿¿t know what I could do about it. I thought I had to do everything on my own and didn¿¿t believe anyone could help me to make things any better.
The first term of third year was the time I suffered a lot. I got yelled from my manager and my parents a lot and I lost one of my part time jobs in November. I was having difficult time coping my emotions and I started losing hope of what I was doing, and questioned myself why I was doing all these part-time jobs, and what was the point in going on. If I could remember it correctly, I started not able to fall asleep at night starting in late summer last year, and I would wake up in the middle of the night but I was not able to fall back asleep, and then I would wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning. My sleeping pattern had gotten worse in the first term of third year. However, I had told my friend about my sleep pattern and she said I should relax and not worry so much all the time. However, I was still not able to have a proper sleep ever.
One day in November, I got blamed at work. Someone else had not done a proper job but I was the one got blamed. My tears fell right out the second I left work. I cried sometimes at night in my room but I had never teared up in public and I was not able to control myself and my emotions. I was feeling more overwhelmed and I was so stressed. It was the darkest weeks before Christmas. After Christmas, I pushed myself even more because I needed to improve my grades at school because I want to stay and be successful at Queens. At the same time, my parent always called me and complained about how much money I spent. In fact, I support all my fees myself and how I always not returned home. I figured I should work less, so I had more time for school. My grades improved in my second term because I was working so hard but I was overwhelmed and feeling terrible. I still was not sleeping and feeling very sad and low.
I sought academic advice from the Art and Science office and the advisor said I would only be able to graduate with a general degree and I am most likely getting a withdraw for the coming September. I couldn¿¿t handle it. I felt terrible and discouraged. The moment I left the office I called the health service on campus. Although I always have scary thoughts of leaving this world that is no longer being colorful in my eyes, I sometimes think there might be a chance to get to what I originally wanted to do in the very far future. I still want to go to school for September, and I think I can graduate with the university¿¿s standard if I am able to increase my GPA through this appeal process. In the meanwhile, I am seeking help from the health office to improve my sleeping patterns and learn to deal with my emotions.
I did not know that I could appeal my grades in this manner before. The SWS told me I may have a chance to appeal by filing this document and with support services. I am a dedicated student who really wants to finish the program I started and I did not know until yesterday, May 18th, 2017 that I might be able to appeal my previous grades.
Niki Ziqing Cai
May.19th.2017
I am writing this letter because I want to be able to finish my degree and graduate by continuing study in the Fall.
Before transferring to Queen¿¿s, everything was smooth, my family, financial situation, and my academics. The first year I was at Queen¿¿s, my family started having issues¿ mainly as a result of my parents fighting a lot and numerous daily phone calls from home. I was responsible for problem solving immigration challenges for my mother and doing daily interpreting for my parents. English is not my first language or the first language of my parents. There was a great deal of family stress and frequent crises and I was impacted and disrupted.
Starting second year at Queen¿¿s, I no longer had financial support from my parents, and I started working 2 to 3 different jobs in order to financially survive. Most weeks I worked, 25 hours a week along with dealing with my family¿¿s issues and maintaining course work in 5 courses. I worked a lot, but at the same time I wanted to improve my academics since I was placed on academic probation for a year. I was handling everything on my own and didn¿¿t know what I could do about it. I thought I had to do everything on my own and didn¿¿t believe anyone could help me to make things any better.
The first term of third year was the time I suffered a lot. I got yelled from my manager and my parents a lot and I lost one of my part time jobs in November. I was having difficult time coping my emotions and I started losing hope of what I was doing, and questioned myself why I was doing all these part-time jobs, and what was the point in going on. If I could remember it correctly, I started not able to fall asleep at night starting in late summer last year, and I would wake up in the middle of the night but I was not able to fall back asleep, and then I would wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning. My sleeping pattern had gotten worse in the first term of third year. However, I had told my friend about my sleep pattern and she said I should relax and not worry so much all the time. However, I was still not able to have a proper sleep ever.
One day in November, I got blamed at work. Someone else had not done a proper job but I was the one got blamed. My tears fell right out the second I left work. I cried sometimes at night in my room but I had never teared up in public and I was not able to control myself and my emotions. I was feeling more overwhelmed and I was so stressed. It was the darkest weeks before Christmas. After Christmas, I pushed myself even more because I needed to improve my grades at school because I want to stay and be successful at Queens. At the same time, my parent always called me and complained about how much money I spent. In fact, I support all my fees myself and how I always not returned home. I figured I should work less, so I had more time for school. My grades improved in my second term because I was working so hard but I was overwhelmed and feeling terrible. I still was not sleeping and feeling very sad and low.
I sought academic advice from the Art and Science office and the advisor said I would only be able to graduate with a general degree and I am most likely getting a withdraw for the coming September. I couldn¿¿t handle it. I felt terrible and discouraged. The moment I left the office I called the health service on campus. Although I always have scary thoughts of leaving this world that is no longer being colorful in my eyes, I sometimes think there might be a chance to get to what I originally wanted to do in the very far future. I still want to go to school for September, and I think I can graduate with the university¿¿s standard if I am able to increase my GPA through this appeal process. In the meanwhile, I am seeking help from the health office to improve my sleeping patterns and learn to deal with my emotions.
I did not know that I could appeal my grades in this manner before. The SWS told me I may have a chance to appeal by filing this document and with support services. I am a dedicated student who really wants to finish the program I started and I did not know until yesterday, May 18th, 2017 that I might be able to appeal my previous grades.
Niki Ziqing Cai
May.19th.2017