By Maya Bourne
The SHARP is usually the one aspect of AP World History everyone fears when the second semester rolls around. The pages and pages of research, all culminating in a 10-page-long research paper, is incredibly daunting, and many people find it awful. I, however, have actually found my SHARP to be one of the most enjoyable projects we have had in WHAP this entire year! I think the topic you choose is the most important part of the SHARP, as that is the topic you will devote hours of your time researching and writing about. My topic was “Does power corrupt?” and my historical figure was Maximilien Robespierre. I specifically chose an interesting person with many layers and lots of information about him. Ever since we learned about the French Revolution in class, his story has fascinated me, as well as the ironic way he meets his demise with the same weapon he used to kill thousands of people. A lot of my friends who dislike the SHARP chose topics that either didn’t interest them or they assumed would be the easiest to research. Though yes, this strategy may work in the short term and get you a decent grade, the entire process won’t be nearly as enjoyable as if you chose a more difficult topic you enjoy researching.
As I wrote my checkpoint notes on Robespierre, I actually found myself invested in his story, clicking onto other sites and digging deeper into specific events I think are significant, rather than finding one or two primary sources and copying down every sentence verbatim. The hours I spent crafting my notes were actually relatively fun, as far as history goes, with music bumping through my noise-cancelling headphones and a celsius in my free hand. I think that being given the choice of what to write about made it even more fun, as I know I am researching something I am interested in and chose to learn more about, rather than being required to copy notes off of a textbook.
The SHARP has easily become one of my favorite parts of History and English this year, and I have finally found a piece of homework I don’t completely dread having to complete the second I get home from practice. I would only urge anyone looking to take WHAP next year and having to write their SHARP to choose an interesting topic. Don’t simply write about technological advancements because you know about the printing press. Choose a topic you know you will find interesting, and you and your grade will thank you later.