Petition Letter
Dear Board of Studies,
I am appealing to the Associate Dean to waive my requirement to withdraw from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences for one year.
I understand the decision made by the board of requiring me to suspend my studies for a year due to my unsatisfactory GPA. However, I kindly ask for a reconsideration as I believe I have misrepresented myself this year. At the beginning of the year, I experienced anxiety due to the stressful transition from high school to university which negatively impacted my mental health and ability to focus early on. Then I got involved in a toxic relationship that served as a breaking-point driving my mental health further into a spiral. During the fall semester, I experienced minor anxious episodes, which I was initially able to control. Yet as my relationship became more mentally harmful, these episodes became much more severe and consistent. I became increasingly distracted due to these episodes of severe anxiety, which formed a mental block and made it extremely difficult to focus on my studies. Due to my emotional dependance on my then-partner, I could not recognize the negative impact of my relationship on my mental health as well as my academic focus. Nor did I recognize that I needed to share my struggles with my psychiatrist. This fear of seeking out support led to further exacerbation of my mental health during the months of January and February. I witnessed my grades drop without being able to cope with my mental state and I became increasingly more self-destructive. I isolated myself from all my support systems; I was dishonest with my psychiatrist, and would push away my friends and family. I became completely dependent on this unhealthy relationship until it ended in March, causing me to spiral into a depressive episode. I was in a period of loss where I felt stuck; I lost interest in all my activities as well my desires and goals. I did not feel any reward from my accomplishments nor did I see their purpose. I began to follow an extremely unhealthy lifestyle which prompted the neglect of my studies.
After a long period of self-reflection and recovery I have reconsidered my priorities and goals for my future. I am now more transparent with my psychotherapist and since then have been working on my mental health as well as my resilience and discipline in studying. As part of improving my study habits I have started to organize a calendar filled with deadlines and schedules that I follow rigorously to stay on top of my work. I included further details in my academic plan attached to this letter. I am currently retaking two courses over the summer to make up for two of my failed grades as well as to demonstrate my commitment to stay doing well in school for the 2022-2023 academic year. Therefore, I ask the Dean and the Board of Studies to please reconsider requiring me to withdraw from my studies for one year. I truly am devoted to my career and academics, and I know I can prove myself to be worthy of this opportunity.
A letter from my psychiatrist will be attached further in time as I have not received it in time of my appeal application.
Thank you for the consideration.
Sincerely,
Leena Ahmad.
I am appealing to the Associate Dean to waive my requirement to withdraw from the Faculty of Arts & Sciences for one year.
I understand the decision made by the board of requiring me to suspend my studies for a year due to my unsatisfactory GPA. However, I kindly ask for a reconsideration as I believe I have misrepresented myself this year. At the beginning of the year, I experienced anxiety due to the stressful transition from high school to university which negatively impacted my mental health and ability to focus early on. Then I got involved in a toxic relationship that served as a breaking-point driving my mental health further into a spiral. During the fall semester, I experienced minor anxious episodes, which I was initially able to control. Yet as my relationship became more mentally harmful, these episodes became much more severe and consistent. I became increasingly distracted due to these episodes of severe anxiety, which formed a mental block and made it extremely difficult to focus on my studies. Due to my emotional dependance on my then-partner, I could not recognize the negative impact of my relationship on my mental health as well as my academic focus. Nor did I recognize that I needed to share my struggles with my psychiatrist. This fear of seeking out support led to further exacerbation of my mental health during the months of January and February. I witnessed my grades drop without being able to cope with my mental state and I became increasingly more self-destructive. I isolated myself from all my support systems; I was dishonest with my psychiatrist, and would push away my friends and family. I became completely dependent on this unhealthy relationship until it ended in March, causing me to spiral into a depressive episode. I was in a period of loss where I felt stuck; I lost interest in all my activities as well my desires and goals. I did not feel any reward from my accomplishments nor did I see their purpose. I began to follow an extremely unhealthy lifestyle which prompted the neglect of my studies.
After a long period of self-reflection and recovery I have reconsidered my priorities and goals for my future. I am now more transparent with my psychotherapist and since then have been working on my mental health as well as my resilience and discipline in studying. As part of improving my study habits I have started to organize a calendar filled with deadlines and schedules that I follow rigorously to stay on top of my work. I included further details in my academic plan attached to this letter. I am currently retaking two courses over the summer to make up for two of my failed grades as well as to demonstrate my commitment to stay doing well in school for the 2022-2023 academic year. Therefore, I ask the Dean and the Board of Studies to please reconsider requiring me to withdraw from my studies for one year. I truly am devoted to my career and academics, and I know I can prove myself to be worthy of this opportunity.
A letter from my psychiatrist will be attached further in time as I have not received it in time of my appeal application.
Thank you for the consideration.
Sincerely,
Leena Ahmad.