Please give me any feedback you can. Thank you!
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is XXX and I am a Biology major at XXX I am writing to appeal my academic suspension from this institution. When I received the letter this week informing me of my temporary dismissal I was deeply saddened but do realize that I am only to blame for my actions.
I will admit, in the Fall 2016 semester, my first semester at XX I had a difficult time and unfortunately this was shown in my grades as a result. Although I had a difficult time, I do take full responsibility for my academic progress thus far and realize that I am at fault. I would like to explain the situation I was in.
Previously, before attending XX I attended X Community College where I was a General Education major. I knew I wanted to study something within the sciences but I wasn’t quite sure what field just yet. Throughout the year I spent at X Community College I accumulated a 3.2 GPA. After figuring out what I wanted to study I was admitted to XX as a transfer. To this date being accepted to XX is and will always be one of my greatest accomplishments.
However, as excited and happy I was to finally become a XX, I did not realize that my anxiety would make school much harder than I expected. As any person with an anxiety disorder would tell you, it is very hard to do regular, everyday tasks that others do without question. For example, walking into class late was never an option for me. I would have to leave twenty minutes early or else I would begin to panic that I wasn’t going to make it on time. If I was going to be late to a class I would avoid going all together instead of being stared at by every person in a 60+ person lecture hall. Other tasks that include going to student instructed tutoring and other classes for extra help I would not attend due to being afraid of being called on to answer a question and getting it wrong in front of a selected group of people. In times like this I get extremely paranoid that everyone around me thinks that I am not fit to be in the class. Simply just walking to class and eating at the dining halls were extremely difficult tasks for me due to being in a room with or walking next to several other people at a given time. I spent most of my semester in my dorm room. Being home for my first year of college made the transition from high school to college much easier. It has always been a difficult task for me to cope with my anxiety. The transition from living at home to living away at college in this way was very challenging. Not being comfortable at first with my roommate and where I was living was very difficult, as it is for every student. Although many students get better after the first month or so at school, I did not. It took me about three months to start feeling “at home”. As the ending of my first semester approached, I can confidently and proudly say that I was just starting to get used to XX being my new home. I had made friends in my hall and was slowly getting more and more comfortable with this transition. I honestly and truly believe that being in this college setting has helped me cope with my anxiety in a safe and responsible way. Being at XX, for only the short amount of time I was, has already helped me to slowly step out of my comfort zone and do things I would’ve never dreamt of doing while at X Community College.
In the upcoming Spring 2017 semester, if I am reinstated, I plan to first off lighten my workload to something I am more capable of handling. This past semester I took two science classes that were very difficult; Biology 202, and Chemistry 221, along with Anthropology 100, and Spanish 101. Next, I plan to start attending tutoring, my professors’ office hours, and also start going to the counseling center when needed. I realized that staying in my dorm to hide from my anxiety can only make my anxiety worse. I will also be retaking any classes that I have failed to improve my cumulative GPA. I can assure you that if I am readmitted I will be stepping out of my comfort zone and focusing only on my academic success. I would love nothing more than to be able to further my education at XX and be only the second person in my family to graduate with a degree from college. While being at home, I visited my doctor, where he told me that he believes I would benefit from seeing a therapist that specializes in anxiety disorders. I believe that going to this new doctor will help not only with my anxiety, but also help my academic success flourish at XX.
I know that attending college is not my right, but a privilege that many people do not have the opportunity to do. I know how fortunate I am to be able to attend this institution, although my grades do not reflect it thus far. If reinstated, I will do everything it takes in my upcoming semesters at XX to go above and beyond and prove to myself, my family, and the university that I have what it takes to graduate with a Biology degree from XX. I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to read my letter.
Sincerely,
XXX