a year for yourself? yikes!

Hi,

I just finished my first year of studies at Uoft St.George. I was unable to get the required marks and therefore was put on probation. I tried to take myself out of it by taking summer classes (huge mistake) and now I’m currently suspended.

This past year, I’ve been having some medical issues that caused me to get bad marks on tests/ exams. I’ve always been really embarrassed and scared to go to my registrars office and talk to them face-to-face about my academic standing. I was wondering if there was a way that I could write a petition for UofT to lift my suspension?? Is it too late for me to do that for this FALL 2012 term?? Or would it be better to write a petition to come back second semester?? I do not think I need an entire year off to focus on my health issues and get back on track. I’ve already visited the doctor and I am taking proper medication. I cannot imagine what taking an entire year off will do to my academics. Is there anyway? I can be granted this petition to come back this semester or second semester?? I really need some guidance!

Thank you

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Hey there!

I’m sorry to hear about your suspension, but the good news is that you can indeed petition to come back – granted the earliest would have to be in January and you might have some difficulty getting into classes.

Your first unofficial step would be to embrace your registrar’s office. Your college registrar is your BFF in university. They help you with choosing courses, understanding the intricacies of OSAP, and many other forms of guidance. If you’re ever confused about something during your time at U of T, chances are that your registrar will have the answers for you. With the letter explaining your probation, you would have been invited by your faculty to speak to an academic advisor (likely from your registrar) and depending on your college, someone else would have contacted you as well about the importance of coming in.

Now after realizing that your registrar only wants to help you and is completely non-judgemental of what your GPA is or why you missed that exam, go over to the Suspensions section of the Faculty of Arts and Science’s Petitions website. Petitions are allowed, yes, but the truth is that they’re rarely granted. Do a little reading on that before going to your registrar, where students are recommended to go for counselling and advice regarding petition procedures and whether or not your petition is even worth it.

If you’re still set on the petition after that meeting, then you’ll have to fill out the petition form and write a clear statement no more than two pages about why you need special consideration in this situation. Since your suspension is a result of medical issues, you’ll definitely need documentation proving that. Your petition will be submitted to your registrar, who will then forward it to the Petitions Office. After that, you’ll probably hear back via email a few weeks later.

But if you do stay on suspension until next September, don’t feel too glum about it! You can do plenty of things with that time: work, travel, learn how to knit, write a novel, and so on. Taking a year off won’t have a huge effect on your academics. Sure, you might forget how to use your note-taking hand while you’re away, but a week or two back into classes and you’ll be fine! 🙂

Good luck!

aska