ANTH V3040

10-12 weekly reading responses (graded on accuracy, grammar, coherence, etc...you can miss two for the entire term) ~6-8 page midterm essay, ~8-10 page final essay

heavy reading thinning out during the semester. weekly 1-2pp essays. take home 6-8pp midterm and final.

Pro: It is a class exclusively for Barnard Anth students. Very discussion based, with Prof Sharp giving some background of the authors at the beginning of each class. The reading materials are really fun and eye-opening. Prof encourages people to go to her office hours and she is usually very available. She also posts key terms of the readings so you would have an easier time locating them in the heavy reading assignments. Con: There were 3-6 readings every week, and you would have to finish it by the first class session because that's when the weekly reading response is due. There are 3 ~250pgs books and a shorter one that Prof assigns for you to finish in a week. You are expected to know the details of the depicted rituals and relationships. The weekly reading responses often ask you to put the authors in conversation with others and are graded critically (2 pts each).

While the class is very structured, enjoyable, and engaging, Prof Sharpe, is a stickler for grading. I put in a lot of work every week and really enjoyed the readings and class in itself but was not overjoyed with my grade. Even though I got an A on both midterm and final, I ended up getting a B+ in the class. Be warned, take the weekly writes seriously as this was what brought my grade down, don't think that a few check minuses or checks will even out at the end with the check pluses (as this was what happened to me). Put in extra time and effort in the weekly writes and you should be fine.

Weekly 2 page writings, 8 page midterm, 8 page final.

I went into this class fairly nervous because of existing reviews of Sharp, and found it much more manageable than portrayed here. Prof. Sharp does not sugarcoat feedback when she disagrees with your opinion, and sometimes I didn't totally agree with what she was saying, but she teaches coherently and encourages in-depth analysis of the texts. The readings for this class were phenomenal, and the grades I got were incredibly fair and not nearly as arbitrary as previous reviews portrayed.

weekly 2 page writes, a midterm and a final. Tedious and frustrating when you do all this crap and then feel like your effort is not recognized. Unfair.

i wrote Professor Sharp a nice review at the beginning of the semester. During the class, I enjoyed discussions and readings. However, I am astounded by the result of the class. Her grading is HARSH. I am one to do every single reading, put effort into every assignment and turn them in on time. I am also not one to complain about grades, but seriously! I am a senior major and an excellent student. I have spoken to others who are also frustrated; the grades are not reflecting the amount of effort invested. I also feel that what she expects from students in their writing limits creativity. Innovative thinking, provocative writing is unacceptable in this class. Professor Sharp, you need to chill.

2 page weekly responses, which sounds tough in the beginning, but feels routine once you get into the habit. i didn't mind them, because they made me read closer and i felt like i learned a lot. take home midterm and final, both 6-8 page papers on topics that we all come up with in class. moderate but very manageable.

all in all, a good course. you have to take it for the major, but still it isn't bad. sharp is a very clear lecturer, moves at a nice pace, stimulates conversation well, and is a fair grader (so is her TA todd, who always works with her i think). she's also very patient, and pleasant in office hours. i think that she genuinely cares about her students, which is evident because she says she always wants to teach this class (usually i feel like professors aim to graduate beyond courses like this and teach only on the areas of interest). because she is a seasoned instructor, the syllabus is tight; nothing unexpected happened, and she was very transparent about assignments and readings. this can be very refreshing, when everything is straightforward and you know what is expected of you.