Petition Letter
Dear Associate Dean,
I am writing this letter to appeal to Queens University¿¿s decision to withdraw me for one year from the Faculty of Arts and Science due to my low GPA. While my mental health and excruciating unforeseen circumstances have hindered my ability to perform exceptionally this past year, I am now taking active steps to overcome these obstacles and am confident in my ability to continue my studies for the year 2021-2022.
I suffered from anxiety and depression for many years before I began studying at Queens, but due to the lack of mental health awareness and support in my culture, I did not attain any support until I came to Canada for university. My mental health problems were heightened by having to move away from my friends, family, and familiar surroundings in the fall of 2021, and I found settling into my residency more challenging than I had anticipated. Being surrounded by people and loud noises at all times of the day induced insomnia and several panic attacks, as a result of which I found myself mentally and physically exhausted for much of my first semester. I attempted to take my life in September of 2020 and began therapy shortly after on October 22nd, 2020. During this time the health of my aunt and maternal grandmother, two of the closest people in my life, declined significantly and prompted my return to Karachi from December 14th, 2020, till February 3rd, 2021. The first portion of my 2021 spring semester (beginning January 11th) overlapped with my time in Karachi and juggling my academics alongside my family¿¿s stresses resulted in a further hindrance to my academic performance. Shortly after I returned to Canada, my aunt passed away on March 17th, 2021, followed by my maternal grandmother¿¿s passing on April 30th, 2021. This was my first time experiencing such great loss, and having to process and grieve away from my family proved extremely challenging. All of the above-mentioned circumstances led to a sharp decline in my health over the past year, making it extremely difficult for me to consistently apply myself to my studies.
I am writing this letter to appeal to Queens University¿¿s decision to withdraw me for one year from the Faculty of Arts and Science due to my low GPA. While my mental health and excruciating unforeseen circumstances have hindered my ability to perform exceptionally this past year, I am now taking active steps to overcome these obstacles and am confident in my ability to continue my studies for the year 2021-2022.
I suffered from anxiety and depression for many years before I began studying at Queens, but due to the lack of mental health awareness and support in my culture, I did not attain any support until I came to Canada for university. My mental health problems were heightened by having to move away from my friends, family, and familiar surroundings in the fall of 2021, and I found settling into my residency more challenging than I had anticipated. Being surrounded by people and loud noises at all times of the day induced insomnia and several panic attacks, as a result of which I found myself mentally and physically exhausted for much of my first semester. I attempted to take my life in September of 2020 and began therapy shortly after on October 22nd, 2020. During this time the health of my aunt and maternal grandmother, two of the closest people in my life, declined significantly and prompted my return to Karachi from December 14th, 2020, till February 3rd, 2021. The first portion of my 2021 spring semester (beginning January 11th) overlapped with my time in Karachi and juggling my academics alongside my family¿¿s stresses resulted in a further hindrance to my academic performance. Shortly after I returned to Canada, my aunt passed away on March 17th, 2021, followed by my maternal grandmother¿¿s passing on April 30th, 2021. This was my first time experiencing such great loss, and having to process and grieve away from my family proved extremely challenging. All of the above-mentioned circumstances led to a sharp decline in my health over the past year, making it extremely difficult for me to consistently apply myself to my studies.