Vishudh Shah – Research and Essays

“Learning that a topic like calculus could be applied to music in such a way truly blew my mind. I chose to write my essay on Fourier analysis and its application in music, two areas I had never associated with mathematics before. Additionally, I was able to incorporate some of my coding skills to program a computer to handle calculations, making the process faster and more efficient. Throughout my essay, Miss Dhingra meticulously reviewed every line, helping me identify instances where I had unknowingly picked up ideas from other sources. She guided me in properly referencing them and even pointed out places where I had written my own thoughts but failed to cite their origins. One of the challenges I faced was managing deadlines, especially those set by my school. CourseLeap was instrumental in helping me structure my thoughts at the outset, allowing the research and writing process to flow more smoothly. Although I initially struggled with pacing, I was eventually able to speed up and meet my deadlines, albeit cutting them close. This entire experience underscored the importance of research skills and academic writing, which I know will be invaluable in university, where I plan to pursue mathematics. Writing a research paper in math as part of the IB has given me the confidence and skills to tackle similar projects in higher education. Beyond academics, this journey also helped me grow as a person, allowing me to discover my true passion for mathematics—something I hadn’t fully realized before.“