3T: Kindly introduce yourself and tell us how it was like growing up.
Gurumayum: Hi, this is Gurumayum Melody Sharma, a licensed clinical psychologist currently teaching in the Psychology Department at Tetso College. I grew up in Imphal, Manipur and completed my higher education in Bangalore and Delhi. Life was fun-filled with a mix of both city and rural life. I have grown up enjoying the best perks of being the youngest in the family and have fully enjoyed childhood. Growing up was a fabulous, exciting roller coaster ride filled with duality of life. Dad being a die hard sports fan and a sportsman himself I have spent my younger years watching all the games and tournaments that I ever could. And my mom being an art lover, I grew up watching and visiting all the theatres, plays, dance shows,music performances and Shumang Leelas (Manipuri traditional form of theatre). Growing up in life has also thrown curveballs at different stages, which has led me to dismantle the idea that life is more than just a bed of roses. From a young age, I have learned to accept and work towards goals that allow for the small victories that have helped me move forward despite certain obstacles.
3T: What is a typical day like in your life?
Gurumayum:My typical day begins with my alarm at 5 am. To be honest, after snoozing it a couple of times, I wake up only a few hours later 🙂 and begin my daily routine. After the regular rituals, my day often starts with me watching videos of my nieces and nephew (my favorite little humans) which would fuel me for the rest of the day. Days will be spent taking classes, taking up counseling sessions and tea breaks with my lovely colleagues. After class, I usually listen to music and various podcasts, and then go for night walks. As counseling has become an essential part of my current life, most of my day would end with a therapy session or listening to panel discussions of various news channels, of which my favorite being Manung Hutna of IMPACT TV Manipur. If nothing in particular, I sometimes end up roaming around nearby markets.
3T: What are your must-have smartphone apps?
Gurumayum: WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Spotify, Mindspace, few shopping apps and G Pay of course.
3T: Everybody has good and bad days. As a teacher, how do you motivate yourself on bad days to impart knowledge to your students without fail?
Gurumayum: I believe in proper effective planning of both time and lessons. Planning helps significantly reduce stress even on bad days. And my students have been my greatest source of inspiration and support as a teacher. Regardless of how difficult the day is, the minute I walk into the classroom and see my students, I feel energized and renewed. I don’t require a different motivation because my pupils have served as both my extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. They already serve as my primary driving force.
3T: In which other teacher’s class would you like to enroll, even for a day and why?
Gurumayum: I would love to enroll in Dr. Gabriela’s class. I have always been fascinated with mass communication, and to share a secret, I have a strong passion for media and always loved playing the role of a newscaster or a reporter (which only my close friends know better 
). And yes Dr. Gabriela being the person I admire and also a good friend, it would be a pleasure to enroll in her class and get exposed to a new range of knowledge that will help me better understand the field.
3T: Is there a quote or saying that you live your life by?
Gurumayum:When it comes to quotes, in fact, I have spent my entire existence being inspired by sayings from well-known personalities. If I have to make a mention of one it has to be Victor Frankl’s “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of the human freedoms- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way”. ( MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING).
3T: What book are you reading at the moment?
Gurumayum: Mindset by Dr. Carol S. Dweck.
3T: Can you tell us your hobbies? What is one of your hidden talents?
Gurumayum: It would be traveling and spending time with children. I always end up doing DIY activities with little ones. Besides this I love watching parallel cinemas, enjoy reading thrillers, and yes I still love to spend my vacation watching sports though very less in the stadium. Umm…. hidden talents …I can talk for hours with my close ones. Jokes apart, I like calligraphy, playing chess and also as a young child I’ve won several skipping competitions in local grounds (which is certainly out of question now 
).
3T: You have 1,000 unread emails in your inbox; whom do you respond to first?
Gurumayum: Ha ha this has to be Dr. Nouzhienino’s, our department head, my department has been more than a family, so definitely, I will never leave any of her messages unread.
3T: Who inspires you the most and why?
Gurumayum: Always and forever my mother. Despite certain limitations and difficulties , my mother has never given up. As a young kid I have always seen her giving 110% for the family. Her actions have always been more powerful than words. Her tenacity and dedication has taught me to never give up no matter how hard life gets.
3T: If you had a free day without college or pending work, how would you spend it?
Gurumayum: As the saying goes, “If travel were free, you’d never see me again.” I will certainly spend traveling places on my must-visit list.
3T: Having been a student yourself, is there any mistake that you committed as a student that you don’t want your students to make?
Gurumayum: That no one is perfect. Perfectionism can only be the most paralyzing form of self-abuse. I want my students to never be afraid of making a mistake and focus on progress and not perfection. Having been a mental health practitioner, I have only realized at a later stage that perfectionism can only impede one’s performance and can take a serious mental toll. I would never want them to live with insecurities of not living up to their expectations. Giving a try in itself has already ignited one’s journey. As long as one is honest and sincere in her dedication, no one can hold them back. No one is less. I want my students to feel that they are the master of their own journey. And to remember that emotional setbacks and upheavals of life can hit us hard. However, we can always learn that these are like strong blowing winds that have come only to build and strengthen us, and that they will not stay with us forever. I want them to have the strength and courage to stand up , to be strong enough to live for their rights while accepting their shortcomings. And to always keep their feet on the ground, stay humble, and keep growing.
3T: Among the people you’ve worked with, who do you admire and why?
Gurumayum: My IHBAS colleagues in the past and TETSO colleagues at present. Each one of them is unique in their own way. I have learned so many things from all of them. In life I live with this philosophy that no one is above anyone. No matter how efficient or powerful you think you are, we all stand on equal footing… Hence respecting other human beings is above all. I respect each one of them and expect that from the world too.
3T: What does being successful look like to you?
Gurumayum: Having a satisfied life is more valuable to me than a successful life. My definition of success is being content and happy with life. Hence the essence of success is being less stressed, less worried and more peaceful fulfilling one’s purpose of existence.
3T: If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose?
Gurumayum: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, MIROSLAV KLOSE, HUGH JACKMAN, JOHN CARLOS FERRERO…. It can’t be one 🙂
3T: If you could change one thing about the current college environment, what would it be?
Gurumayum: Little more humanitarian as a collective approach.
3T: Describe Tetso College in 3 words.
Gurumayum: WHERE DREAMS LIVE.