Petition Letter
TO Associate Dean (Studies),
I am appealing to drop BCHM 218 (Fall, 2018), CHEM 211(Fall, 2018), and CHEM 212 (Fall, 2018), also credit standing (CR) for BIOL 243 (Fall, 2018), CHEM 213 (Fall, 2018).
Starting from mid-October, I became very depressed due to the study pressure from midterms. Because of the stress, it was hard for me to sleep at night, which led to ineffective day time studying. I also became sensitive, emotional and very easily irritated due to lack of sleep. I was having either poor appetite or eating too much. All these factors distracted me from concentrating, and eventually they led to bad results for the midterms. The reason why I did not drop some courses before the week 8 deadline was that most of the courses were mandatory courses for my major, and some midterm grades were posted after week 8, which means that by the deadline, I had no clue what my grades were going to look like. Also, my condition was not as severe as after. At the end of October, I decided to seek help from the student wellness center because I was starting to have thoughts of death. The earliest appointment, however, was the end of November. During November, I was struggling a lot from depression. Thoughts of suicide and self-harm often came to me, which made me could not concentrate on any of the school work. Even though I still went to classes but focusing became extremely hard for me. I also started to question if the current program was right for me. In between this time, I also tried to seek help from the academic counsellor, who tried to help me book appointment with another psychologist from the office of academic counselling. However, since the psychologist was sick at that time, the appointment kept getting delayed. After finally met with the physician at the end of November, I was diagnosed to have depression. While trying to adjust my sleeping schedule like what the physician told me, the heavy load of school work and the stress from studying for final exams made my condition worse. The final marks for all my classes were undesirable. At the beginning of the winter term, I talked to the counsellor from student wellness center twice, and also met with academic counsellors and career counsellors a few times. These meetings gave me a clearer idea of what I need to do for my future. Also, after seeing the doctor for another few times, my condition got more stable. I started to get better eating and sleeping schedule, which helped me to concentrate on my study. Also, by deducting the number of classes in the new term, the stress from school became less, and allowed me to adapt to the studying environment again. I also joined the PEQ program that was suggested by my physician which helped me exercise and to gain a healthy living style.
For next year, I am planning to retake the courses that I dropped and take a lighter course load so I can focus more on each class. Also, I am going to have a regular check on my mental health with medical professionals to ensure that such extenuating circumstances will not impact my school work again. After talking to counsellors, I am also having a clearer idea for my future plan, which I may make adjustment to my program or the courses that I am taking. By having a clear goal and a healthier living style, I believe that my academic goals for next term can be achieved.
Ling Yun Long
20043647
I am appealing to drop BCHM 218 (Fall, 2018), CHEM 211(Fall, 2018), and CHEM 212 (Fall, 2018), also credit standing (CR) for BIOL 243 (Fall, 2018), CHEM 213 (Fall, 2018).
Starting from mid-October, I became very depressed due to the study pressure from midterms. Because of the stress, it was hard for me to sleep at night, which led to ineffective day time studying. I also became sensitive, emotional and very easily irritated due to lack of sleep. I was having either poor appetite or eating too much. All these factors distracted me from concentrating, and eventually they led to bad results for the midterms. The reason why I did not drop some courses before the week 8 deadline was that most of the courses were mandatory courses for my major, and some midterm grades were posted after week 8, which means that by the deadline, I had no clue what my grades were going to look like. Also, my condition was not as severe as after. At the end of October, I decided to seek help from the student wellness center because I was starting to have thoughts of death. The earliest appointment, however, was the end of November. During November, I was struggling a lot from depression. Thoughts of suicide and self-harm often came to me, which made me could not concentrate on any of the school work. Even though I still went to classes but focusing became extremely hard for me. I also started to question if the current program was right for me. In between this time, I also tried to seek help from the academic counsellor, who tried to help me book appointment with another psychologist from the office of academic counselling. However, since the psychologist was sick at that time, the appointment kept getting delayed. After finally met with the physician at the end of November, I was diagnosed to have depression. While trying to adjust my sleeping schedule like what the physician told me, the heavy load of school work and the stress from studying for final exams made my condition worse. The final marks for all my classes were undesirable. At the beginning of the winter term, I talked to the counsellor from student wellness center twice, and also met with academic counsellors and career counsellors a few times. These meetings gave me a clearer idea of what I need to do for my future. Also, after seeing the doctor for another few times, my condition got more stable. I started to get better eating and sleeping schedule, which helped me to concentrate on my study. Also, by deducting the number of classes in the new term, the stress from school became less, and allowed me to adapt to the studying environment again. I also joined the PEQ program that was suggested by my physician which helped me exercise and to gain a healthy living style.
For next year, I am planning to retake the courses that I dropped and take a lighter course load so I can focus more on each class. Also, I am going to have a regular check on my mental health with medical professionals to ensure that such extenuating circumstances will not impact my school work again. After talking to counsellors, I am also having a clearer idea for my future plan, which I may make adjustment to my program or the courses that I am taking. By having a clear goal and a healthier living style, I believe that my academic goals for next term can be achieved.
Ling Yun Long
20043647