<p>Sorry that this is long. I also included the questions asked. Its my appeal to get into GEST (a transitioning program) </p>
<p>Section 1: Describe the circumstances that have prevented you from meeting your academic goals, and state a specific reason for your appeal. (A minimum of 150 words is expected) </p>
<p>a. Identify the problems you encountered that were unavoidable and/or beyond your control. (i.e. serious illness, death in your immediate family, etc.) </p>
<p>b. List specific dates you were prevented from attending class or were not able to function academically during the past semester. List dates of exams or other assignments affected by your situation. List specific actions you took to resolve these issues on your own. </p>
<p>What I responded with "I admit, I had a very difficult time last semester, and my grades suffered as a result. Since I have put myself in this predicament, I take full responsibility for my poor academic performance, and I would like to explain the circumstances. I have Sickle Cell Anemia. I have been diagnosed with SCA for four years; battling it with for a year and a half. For the last few months, I have been dealing with severe nausea and pain. Some days, I can hardly walk or eat anything. Before the semester began, I was prescribed "Hydroxyurea" to reduce the pain and the bi-weekly blood transfusions. Only then, after taking it for about three months, I began to develop chest pain and shortness of breath. I had my first seizure the week following "Fish Camp". Because of that incident, my mother requested that I'd been taken off of it. I have missed class on Oct. 16, 2013, Nov. 13, and Dec. 3, 2013 due to severe pain and nausea. On Nov. 22, 2013, I was admitted to Memorial Herman Hospital for an unexpected blood transfusion and was unable to turn in an assignment. I have attempted several times to set up a conference with this particular professor, but received no response, but I made the best of the situation. As for my other professor, he gave me extra time to turn it in."</p>
<p>Part 2: Section 2: List any activities, employment, or other responsibilities that you were involved in this semester and an estimate of how much time was spent in participation. Indicate if these were academic obligations.
What I responded: "I am apart of Student Bonfire. An estimated time of 3-6 hours was spent in participation every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday."</p>
<p>Part 3: What did you do to try and cope with any unusual circumstances? State what will be different during your next semester. What behaviors need to be changed? List specific actions you took during the semester to resolve problem situations (i.e. counseling, fewer work hours, etc.). (A minimum of 150 words is expected)
What I responded with: "As the winter began, it started to become a factor of my anemia. I began to work on my projects from my dorm. I also attended study groups with those who were in the same major, and visited my advisor every so often. I will learn to better adapt my condition with schoolwork, communicate with my professors when I need help, and manage my time more wisely. I will also get a tutor to aid me in my studies; especially math and reading in which I know that I will not do as well in. Also, I will no longer ignore extra credit assignments teachers' offer and I will begin taking advantage of chances to improve my grade. When I visited my previous advisor, Rachal Thomassie, she convinced me to take lesser hours. I q-dropped the only 2 classes I was having difficulty in to give myself more time to finish assignments from the others professors."</p>
<p>Part 4:f the next semester is your first semester as a GEST major you are only guaranteed one GEST semester. You may earn a second semester by posting good midterm grades. What major are you thinking about declaring in the future? State what GPA requirements you will have to meet for your designated major. If you only have one or two more semesters during which you can be a GEST major, what will you need grade-wise and course-wise to gain entry to that major? For a list of change of major requirements for each college click here. List specific courses you plan to take next semester (i.e, MATH 141, SOCI 205, THAR 281, etc.) (A minimum of 100 words is expected)
THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT YOUR MAJOR! </p>
<p>What I responded with: "I want to declare my major in Visualization. I must meet at 3.0 GPA and have at least 12 hours completed at Texas A & M. If that does not work out, my second choice is Psychology. I must meet obtain a minimum 2.25 GPA overall and in PSYC courses, completion of PSYC 107 with a minimum grade of C, and a completion of a minimum of Business Math."</p>
<p>Part 5: What are your plans if your appeal is denied? What options are you considering if you are not permitted to continue at Texas A&M? What I responded with
"If my appeal is denied, I will began taking my basic courses at my local community college, and later transferring to University of Houston."</p>