Petition Letter
Over the past month, my anxiety and depression have reached an all-time high. I am unable to focus on my studies for more than a few hours a day. I am incredibly tired all the time, even after sleeping all day. Furthermore, If I do have the energy to get up and study, I start panicking about all the time I was not studying. This is not a new experience for me. So, I tried to push through these feelings and complete my school work. This proved to hinder my mental health further. To attempt to take advantage of the hours I was awake, I would intake large amounts of caffeine and would often forget to eat all day. Furthermore, after these ¿¿study days,¿ I would sleep for 14-18 hours. Overall, I feel defeated and cry every day.
Ultimately, I had to go home for a few days and see my general practitioner about these low moods, who decided to increased medication. Sadly, medication takes up to six weeks to begin to work, so for right now, I need to lighten my workload to allow me to focus on my remaining courses. My decision to drop BIOL 503 is based on workload. With my other classes, I have been able to complete a large percentage of the workload throughout the semester. 55 of Biol 503¿¿s marks rely on projects due in November and December. I do not think I currently have the mental health to complete that many projects on top of all my other course work. The thought of how much work I have to complete over the next month in my current mental health terrifies me. I want to do well so badly but do not have the energy to put in the necessary work. Hopefully, the reduced amount of work will allow me to focus on the classes I am enrolled in but also begin taking care of myself again.
Ultimately, I had to go home for a few days and see my general practitioner about these low moods, who decided to increased medication. Sadly, medication takes up to six weeks to begin to work, so for right now, I need to lighten my workload to allow me to focus on my remaining courses. My decision to drop BIOL 503 is based on workload. With my other classes, I have been able to complete a large percentage of the workload throughout the semester. 55 of Biol 503¿¿s marks rely on projects due in November and December. I do not think I currently have the mental health to complete that many projects on top of all my other course work. The thought of how much work I have to complete over the next month in my current mental health terrifies me. I want to do well so badly but do not have the energy to put in the necessary work. Hopefully, the reduced amount of work will allow me to focus on the classes I am enrolled in but also begin taking care of myself again.

