<p>Counselor at orientation was pushing 131 vs. 170. Can anyone explain the difference is and what you would recommend foe Kelley direct admit. S was told that 131 was more like a continuance of high school classes that were based upon classic literature ( bored him to death) and it was suggested that he take 170 because he could write around 1 subject of interest throughout the semester.</p>
<p>I do not see anyone recommending 170. Any advice is appreciated.</p>
<p>W131 was the worst class I took last year.</p>
<p>The schedule of classes lists the various themes/topics of each W170 section.</p>
<p>[Schedule</a> of Classes Bulletin for the Bloomington campus for Fall 2011](<a href=“http://registrar.indiana.edu/scheduleoclasses/prl/soc4118fac.html]Schedule”>http://registrar.indiana.edu/scheduleoclasses/prl/soc4118fac.html)</p>
<p>My airplane was cancled and they put us up in a hotel. Riding in a cab to the hotel I sat next to an english teacher at IU. She said the counclers push 131 because more of it is available to take than 170. Also she said she preffered 170 not only because of content but because better teachers taught the subject.</p>
<p>The teachers in W170 are probably very interested in the topics they teach, so that might translate into them being more enthusiastic about teaching it and grading more generously than a teacher who felt like teaching W131 is a waste of time because students are forced to take it. W170 does have a higher class gpa each semester.</p>
<p>I know this is an old thread, but just for people interested: I’ve taught both several times. W131 is actually not literary at all. In most of the sections you don’t read fiction–you read academic essays. The writing component is a sequence of projects centered around the essays, two films, and a set of photos. And yes, there are more W131 sections available than W170, but it’s also recommended by some advisors because it’s actually easier than W170. W131 has a tough rep–it’s a hard class–and it can be a bit bland. But! W170 has a larger reading load, typically some literary fiction, and tougher writing assignments. It’s seen as the more advanced course by many. That said, the advantage to W170 is, like some people on the thread have said, it’s often more interesting. It’s based around a specific question or issue and you can get syllabi that contain anything from films and tv shows, to music and music videos, novels, short stories, etc. As to grading difficulty, I think only the weakest teachers would grade based on liking the topic. We actually get the specific numbers each term: W170s have a higher GPA each term, it’s true, but the students taking it typically have a much higher GPA. Then again, W170 is (supposed to be) pitched toward more advanced or independently motivated students. My W170 students were more often very ambitious with scholarships, AP classes, and honors under their belts. I definitely got great students in my W131 class, but the majority of these classes are made up of students with average to below average GPAs. Advisors are supposed to tell students that W170 is available if they want a more challenging but interesting writing course; instead, I always got students the first week of W170 who mistakenly thought they were in the “fun” and “easier” course. More fun, yes; easier, I’d disagree. As to graders in W131: Many, many W131 instructors would not tell you the class is a waste of time. Most of the students coming into those classes really struggle with writing a college essay. Some are recommended to take W131-Basic because they struggle with formulating sentences.It’s a tough class and it’s not always the most exciting class, but its function is different than W170. That said, compared to colleagues I have at other colleges, neither W131 nor W170 are blow off classes like some other first-year writing curricula. They’re pretty intense. I hope this helps any future wanderers!</p>