After completing my SLC, one of my friends told me about the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program at Ullens. I came to know that this course was different in many aspects compared to the HSEB, so I did some research. My first finding was the Extended Essay (EE). It was a core part of the

course, which required students to write an essay in 4000 words. 4000 words! I had never written a piece above 500 words and here was IB demanding 4000!  I asked myself, can I write a unique research paper that demands understanding beyond my existing knowledge? I reflected a lot on whether I could join this course, and more importantly whether it was right for me.

The IB experience was something new. Something intriguing. Little did I know, I was already learning so much in a short interval of time. I lost track of time, and forgot about the EE because I was so involved in developing myself and my skills. After a year of joining the course, the subject of the Extended Essay arose. The panic of writing 4000 words came hurdling back, even though I knew I had developed a lot in the past year. And I began asking the same questions that I started with: What should my research be about? I was always interested in mathematics and physics, but was there a scope of writing such a long essay on these subjects at my level? This I wasn’t very sure of.

So I did some research on the subjects I was interested in and the possible scope for a research paper but now I was conflicted on which topic I wanted to write on. And suddenly, it occurred to me that cards was a very interesting topic, and I wanted to explore it. In the following days, I talked to my supervisor and decided that I would write the paper on the ‘riffle shuffle’ which-in my opinion-was a great decision as I learned so much and could come up with something concrete yet interesting.

The research was the hardest part of writing the paper; it demanded a very strong mathematical background. I soon found myself reading journals and articles written by PhD holders that were beyond my understanding. I spent most of my time learning about the theories used in the journals and also had to experiment, hands on, with the cards to fully understand its nature. This was one of the hardest parts, but I was never demotivated; au contraire, I was motivated even more because I had to write a paper that would be comprehensible to my colleagues but included very complex mathematics (which I also found intriguing).

The riffle shuffle is elegant, like the slender tail of a bird. It is popularly known as the dove-tail shuffle. During the shuffle, a deck of cards are cut in half. Each half is taken in one hand and allowed to interleave alternatively from either left or right. The shuffle has always dazzled mathematics not only because of its elegant nature but also because of the way it randomises cards. This was why I was enthusiastic about doing my research on the riffle shuffle.

I had slowly accumulated a comprehensive body of knowledge about the mathematics behind the shuffle. I started writing the paper and to my surprise, I had written a 4500 words essay, but I still wasn’t sure that it had met the criteria and most importantly, I wasn’t sure my colleagues would understand the paper. My supervisor had clearly emphasised that the paper should be comprehended by students of my level.

To tackle this, I gave my paper to my friends having similar mathematical background and to some with less. I was relieved to find that they understood most of it; they were impressed with my paper. One of my friends who was writing a similar paper told he wasn’t motivated to write the paper because the topic he selected was too ‘boring’. So, I advised him to write on a topic that he is really interested in like I had done and he would not only find it motivated, but he will also have fun writing it.

The day I submitted my essay, I was proud of myself. I had dedicated myself entirely to this essay and the supervisors’ acknowledgement reflected it. The essay had helped me learn about researching, formatting and organising ideas. But being my first elaborated essay, this paper helped me develop personally, as it showed my potential; it will always remain with me as a reminder of a paper that changed me.

Maharjan is an IB graduate from Ullens