Stepping Over the Threshold to University
- By Dorjee W., Jhamtse graduate
After passing Grade 12, I always wanted to go to college and experience the world outside Jhamtse Gatsal. Hanging out with different people, exchanging ideas, and experiencing something new were my biggest desires.
A day before arriving at the college [August 2021], so many thoughts were running through my mind. My biggest challenge was making healthy and convivial relations with my college mates. I caught a flight and reached Bangalore. One of our architectural advisors in Bangalore, Nikita, and her friend Shoriya, picked us up and dropped us off at the university.
At the university, the second-year students were responsible for guiding us freshers. I had missed my orientation session with the college; hence I was not familiar with the campus. Tsewang and Namgey, two of my older siblings from Jhamtse Gatsal who are already studying at my college, helped me get settled. With their assistance and my excitement, I was good to go. I was feeling pretty well-set.
Before you know it, the first day of college began. My first course,' Introduction to philosophy,' was about to start. After a few minutes, Professor Kit from England flashed into the classroom with a jovial "good morning, folks." He already knew everyone's name, mine too, which took me by surprise. He took our attendance and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. I was anxiously waiting for the class to begin.
I had assumed that philosophy class would focus on human values, transformation, interdependence, and the meaning of life. But, when I'd least expected it, Professor Kit screamed suddenly, "I do not know if I am not a brain in a vat, if I do not know I am not a brain in a vat, then I do not know I have a hand. Therefore I do not know if I have hands."
I did not understand anything. I was completely confused. His accent was also very difficult to understand. He was wearing a mask, which made it harder for me to understand him. The class wasn't anything like I expected. He was teaching us how to write a valid argument; what is the truth? And so forth. My first class was totally insane! I didn't even realize how fast the class got over and how time flew by. Other courses like 'Understanding India,' ' Critical reading,' and 'Writing' were easier to understand.
On my first day, I felt my performance in class wasn't up to the mark, but I did pretty well outside the classroom. I felt I could bond with other people very quickly and make friends easily. I talked about my region, Tawang. Interestingly, people were very surprised, especially Nishok (my mentor), to hear about Jhamtse Gatsal, the values we carry, our approach to education, and the concept of family, love, and compassion. All in all, it was a refreshing experience to hang out with new people and build relationships.
After a few days, I learned that in our Philosophy classes, we would be analyzing and evaluating the thoughts and case studies of famous philosophers like Aristotle, Gettier, Moore, Lewis, etc. We had to articulate our thoughts on their philosophical ideas.
Philosophy is very interesting. We learn about existence, gaining knowledge, contextualism, infallibility, counterfactual assertion, etc. For a person exposed only to Eastern philosophical ideas, Western philosophy is entirely new but equally enjoyable. I know Buddhist philosophy to some extent, so I try to compare the two different philosophies and develop my own philosophy. Most of the time, I usually end up with skepticism, and that's the beauty of philosophy. Getting your own knowledge out of skepticism is my general idea of how I study my courses.
From my experience, I believe just knowing does not represent who you really are. I can speak English; others do better. I can read and write; others can do the same things better. There is no difference between them and me. But there are certain aspects in which I realize that I stand out among the crowd. Small things like sweeping, cleaning the bedroom and washroom, washing clothes (chores), and taking care of yourself and others around you embody the most important human values like kind heart, politeness, and compassion. These skills are not a sudden outcome, but they are a product of my childhood experiences from Jhamtse Gatsal.
Dorjee with Tenzin (in red)
College does not teach these things; you have to acquire these skills through empirical and practical learning. These things, which may seem very useless, make a huge difference. People, especially boys, looking at my clean room and cupboard, always say, "Oh my god!" Other boys tend to have messy rooms.
So far, my biggest learning has been that the more kind you are to others, the more life mesmerizes you.