Dear Committee,
I am writing to appeal my current academic standing and its consequences. After a year full of ups and downs, I was not taken aback but yet very upset when I received the letter regarding my academic standing. My weighted average is far from acceptable and there is no one and nothing to blame on but my poor work ethic and ignorance.
As a “first generation” student, it meant a lot to me when I was accepted to [Insert School] and was also given the Outstanding International Student award. I knew that I had the potential in me to succeed.
However, as naive and as playful as I was, I spent half of my first term spending time to socialise and focus on others when I should’ve been focusing on my academics and my health. As months started to reel by, I started becoming severely homesick. Despite of knowing that I am not doing well academically and mentally, I did not bother to seek any sort of help and that is the biggest mistake that I made. As a result, I performed really poorly in first term and managed to only get a 56.3% average. My overall performance in the first term really allowed me to reflect who I have become as a person. I realised my inability to balance my social life and my academics. I understood that when you are going through a rough time, it is beneficial to reach out for help.
I stepped into second term with a clear outlook on life. I changed my work ethic. I spent time revising my lectures everyday, going to classes, engaging in lectures, seeking any sort of help that I needed in my coursework, and participated in a lot of activities that fostered my personal growth. I also met with an academic advisor to talk about my academic standing which motivated me to do better. Though it was a slow change, I was really proud of myself for making an effort to learn from the mistakes that I made in the first term. My second term average came up to 64.5%, however, my weighted winter average is unfortunately only 59.8%. It breaks my heart to see that although I improved mentally, physically and academically; I am 0.2% short of making the cut to go to to second year.
I request you to reinstate me for next term. These past few weeks have really made me realise that my top priority is education. If I am given a second chance, I will undoubtedly refrain from making the same mistakes that I made in first year.
Firstly, I will manage my time and manage to lead on a balanced life. I understand that socialising and building a network is important but it should not hinder my education. I will make sure that I have enough time to study and to complete my assignments. I will utilise my free time to study, to finish all my coursework and to study ahead for my quizzes and exam. I will also maintain a healthy life. I believe that my inability to manage my time really affected my sleeping schedule which resulted in deteriorating levels of productivity. If I had planned my day properly, If I had a proper amount of rest, I would’ve been really productive. Secondly, I will not take any coursework lightly. I have now understood that a coursework that is only worth 1% can have a big impact on your overall average. I will put all my handwork in every coursework. Third, I will communicate. These past few weeks have really taught me the importance of communication. Had I communicated the difficulties that I faced in [INSERT COURSE] to my professor or my teaching assistant or if I had gone to the counselling services to talk about how homesick I felt in the first term, I am sure that I would’ve done better. As a result, from now onwards, I will utilise all the services that university has provided us such as tutor, Counselling services, Academic Advisors etc.
By implementing these strategies, I am sure that I will overcome my weaknesses. Please understand that my low GPA does not indicate that I am a poor student. I have the skills to achieve a good academic standing. If I am given a second chance, I will prove myself to be capable of succeeding.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[INSERT NAME]