Petition Letter
I am appealing the faculty's decision that I must withdraw from Queen's University for a minimum of one year, appealing to drop (ideally) all my failed courses since Fall 2020, and seeking credit standing for (ideally) all my courses that I have passed with a grade lower than C since Fall 2020.
I have started my first year at Queen's University, Fall of 2020, at a very difficult time. There were a lot of uncertainties due to the recently discovered pandemic. I had to stay home (in British Columbia), where I spent most of my day locked in my room trying to adjust to the university and what was going on around the world. I was stressed with how I was going to be able to afford university - my parents will not help me financially with anything, and I was denied many scholarships and grants because even though I am paying for everything myself I have to include my household and it does not fall under low income. As such, I have been working nonstop since grade 10, and because of the pandemic I was sometimes scheduled a lot more hours than I could properly balance with university. There was a three-hour time difference and on top of that I have had to discover how to learn and fully understand the content by myself with little to no interaction (something that I have never done). I was not adjusting well to online classes, but I was too embarrassed to ask for help. I was raised in a very strict environment where I felt (and still feel) that my worthiness is a reflection solely on my academic success. My mental health started to deteriorate very rapidly, my strict household will not let me do anything without their consent, and they unfortunately think very little of anything related to mental health, so seeking for professional help in town was not really an option, and the online counselling through the Wellness Services was not a possibility as I was out of the province. During the Winter term of 2021, I was put under my first probation, and I was devastated. I didn't know what to do and my family was pressuring and making me feel even more guilty. I contacted an academic advisor and she just told me to retake my failed course, retake a couple more courses and not take a full five-course load, that I didn't have to worry. When I finally was able to move out and live in Kingston, I was hopeful and thought that being away from a toxic household and being able to attend classes on campus would fix my problems, however, it did not. I had a lot more financial stress, as there are a lot more things to pay for living away from home. Nonetheless, I kept pushing forward and avoiding my mental health. Towards late November my mental health was the worst that I had experienced. I was having panic/anxiety attacks to the point that I had to contact a counsellor from Queen's and take a month-long leave from my job. I kept talking with the counsellor for a bit longer, but I didn't feel a good connection so instead of finding someone else, I stopped it all together. Starting the Winter term, my mental health hit a new low and rock bottom. I was not eating, or caring about myself, I could not get myself to fully focus and study without disassociating and/or almost having an anxiety attack from all the expectations that I had to meet in order to not go through academic probation. I had basically given up on me at that time. Through mid-March I started receiving help from a private psychologist, when my sister and mom noticed how poorly I was doing and convinced me to talk with them. Since then, I have been overcoming a lot of past traumas and behaviours brought about through a toxic household and learning not be ashamed in asking for help.
I have started my first year at Queen's University, Fall of 2020, at a very difficult time. There were a lot of uncertainties due to the recently discovered pandemic. I had to stay home (in British Columbia), where I spent most of my day locked in my room trying to adjust to the university and what was going on around the world. I was stressed with how I was going to be able to afford university - my parents will not help me financially with anything, and I was denied many scholarships and grants because even though I am paying for everything myself I have to include my household and it does not fall under low income. As such, I have been working nonstop since grade 10, and because of the pandemic I was sometimes scheduled a lot more hours than I could properly balance with university. There was a three-hour time difference and on top of that I have had to discover how to learn and fully understand the content by myself with little to no interaction (something that I have never done). I was not adjusting well to online classes, but I was too embarrassed to ask for help. I was raised in a very strict environment where I felt (and still feel) that my worthiness is a reflection solely on my academic success. My mental health started to deteriorate very rapidly, my strict household will not let me do anything without their consent, and they unfortunately think very little of anything related to mental health, so seeking for professional help in town was not really an option, and the online counselling through the Wellness Services was not a possibility as I was out of the province. During the Winter term of 2021, I was put under my first probation, and I was devastated. I didn't know what to do and my family was pressuring and making me feel even more guilty. I contacted an academic advisor and she just told me to retake my failed course, retake a couple more courses and not take a full five-course load, that I didn't have to worry. When I finally was able to move out and live in Kingston, I was hopeful and thought that being away from a toxic household and being able to attend classes on campus would fix my problems, however, it did not. I had a lot more financial stress, as there are a lot more things to pay for living away from home. Nonetheless, I kept pushing forward and avoiding my mental health. Towards late November my mental health was the worst that I had experienced. I was having panic/anxiety attacks to the point that I had to contact a counsellor from Queen's and take a month-long leave from my job. I kept talking with the counsellor for a bit longer, but I didn't feel a good connection so instead of finding someone else, I stopped it all together. Starting the Winter term, my mental health hit a new low and rock bottom. I was not eating, or caring about myself, I could not get myself to fully focus and study without disassociating and/or almost having an anxiety attack from all the expectations that I had to meet in order to not go through academic probation. I had basically given up on me at that time. Through mid-March I started receiving help from a private psychologist, when my sister and mom noticed how poorly I was doing and convinced me to talk with them. Since then, I have been overcoming a lot of past traumas and behaviours brought about through a toxic household and learning not be ashamed in asking for help.