Petition Letter
Respected Associate Dean (Studies),
I am appealing the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s University for a minimum of three years.
I have done poorly in my years at Queen¿¿s, due to being in poor housing situations, feelings of isolation and being deeply disturbed by the death of my grandmother, last year in December.
In my second year at Queen¿¿s, my house was infested with roaches during summer months and mice during the winter. This caused me a lot of stress and since I was so far from home, I felt completely isolated. The kitchen was also infested, and I ate very little, I was exhausted all the time, which affected my studies. After my second year, I was required to withdraw for the academic year 2016/2017. I did take the time off from school to be with family and I felt myself getting better but all the issues that affected my academics remained at Queen¿¿s. During my year off, my grandmother passed away, she was in the process of immigration to Canada, and her sudden passing was a big shock. Being with family at the time helped bury all the emotions I was feeling but when I returned to Queen¿¿s, the grief started affecting my daily life, I had a hard time getting out of bed on some days.
I do not believe that taking time off, for any amount of period, from school will help me, because I have tried that already. When I came back to school, I was not able to get help to improve myself because I did not know I had a problem. It has taken a great amount of difficulty to accept my mental health situation. I now know that it is an important issue and I have taken regular appointments with a personal counsellor to improve myself.
I plan to work on my mental health over the summer and when I return for a new academic year, I will go for regular meetings with my personal counsellor, I have already been taking regular appointments with a personal counsellor since April. I have found them very helpful in combatting and coping with my feelings of grief, anxiety and isolation. I will also be taking a lighter course load, three courses per term, so that I am successful in my academics. Peer tutoring for my courses is also something that I will need and will take full advantage of. I have already found a good house and housemates for the next academic year, ensuring that I do not have to deal with that added stress next year. I have met with a Career Services advisor to discuss other academic possibilities in depth and I believe that Queen¿¿s is the correct path for me and I need to return, so that I may be able to prove myself and get back on track. I know that with the right support I will be able to overcome my difficulties and do well academically because I still have the drive to succeed. I will work hard and take all the steps that are needed to be successful at Queen¿¿s.
Thank you.
Regards,
Carmel Francis
I am appealing the Faculty¿¿s decision that I must withdraw from Queen¿¿s University for a minimum of three years.
I have done poorly in my years at Queen¿¿s, due to being in poor housing situations, feelings of isolation and being deeply disturbed by the death of my grandmother, last year in December.
In my second year at Queen¿¿s, my house was infested with roaches during summer months and mice during the winter. This caused me a lot of stress and since I was so far from home, I felt completely isolated. The kitchen was also infested, and I ate very little, I was exhausted all the time, which affected my studies. After my second year, I was required to withdraw for the academic year 2016/2017. I did take the time off from school to be with family and I felt myself getting better but all the issues that affected my academics remained at Queen¿¿s. During my year off, my grandmother passed away, she was in the process of immigration to Canada, and her sudden passing was a big shock. Being with family at the time helped bury all the emotions I was feeling but when I returned to Queen¿¿s, the grief started affecting my daily life, I had a hard time getting out of bed on some days.
I do not believe that taking time off, for any amount of period, from school will help me, because I have tried that already. When I came back to school, I was not able to get help to improve myself because I did not know I had a problem. It has taken a great amount of difficulty to accept my mental health situation. I now know that it is an important issue and I have taken regular appointments with a personal counsellor to improve myself.
I plan to work on my mental health over the summer and when I return for a new academic year, I will go for regular meetings with my personal counsellor, I have already been taking regular appointments with a personal counsellor since April. I have found them very helpful in combatting and coping with my feelings of grief, anxiety and isolation. I will also be taking a lighter course load, three courses per term, so that I am successful in my academics. Peer tutoring for my courses is also something that I will need and will take full advantage of. I have already found a good house and housemates for the next academic year, ensuring that I do not have to deal with that added stress next year. I have met with a Career Services advisor to discuss other academic possibilities in depth and I believe that Queen¿¿s is the correct path for me and I need to return, so that I may be able to prove myself and get back on track. I know that with the right support I will be able to overcome my difficulties and do well academically because I still have the drive to succeed. I will work hard and take all the steps that are needed to be successful at Queen¿¿s.
Thank you.
Regards,
Carmel Francis