Comparison between composition courses?

<p>For lower level composition requirement courses, the choices are UWP1, English 3, COMP Lit 1,2,3, or 4, and Native Amer Lit 5. Anybody have any comments as to the differences? In particular, UWP1 is not listed as a literature course, just expository writing. Would I expect more writing and less reading in UWP1? How much reading in the others? Thanks.</p>

<p>I’m in English 3 right now, but I wish I had taken Comparative Literature. English 3 is basically high school English all over again. We’re reading Othello (which I read in 10th grade…) and Sense and Sensibility (I hate Jane Austen.) Other than that, it’s all poetry! Based on the reading lists for the COM classes, they appear to expose you to literature you’re unfamiliar with (ie. things you didn’t read in high school.) As for writing, English 3 requires a 6000 word minimum plus 10 journals; my class writes four essays throughout the quarter (two are on poetry), but it varies by professor. I have no idea how much writing COM has, but I’d assume it’s about the same. If you want something a bit more advanced than high school English, COM 1-4 would probably be better than ENL 3.</p>

<p>@JeSuis Thanks. BTW, do you gets tests on the readings (like we got in high school), or is grading on the writing only?</p>

<p>Our only tests are the midterm and final. Our midterm is an in-class essay about a poem and short answer questions about Othello and Shakespearian Sonnets. I’m not sure what our final is yet. Just so you know, every section is different; my friend in a different English 3 class has a final but no midterm, and his class reads short stories as well as poetry (my class has no short stories.)</p>

<p>the course descriptions in the uc davis general catalog should help you out if you’re not sure which class to take. although, all courses count towards the composition requirement, so know you’ll focus on writing in any of the courses.</p>