<p>So, I got a mailing today giving details about humanities 1 & 2, which stated reasons why I should take it my fall and winter term. First of all, I don’t know if i tested out of writing 5, but I doubt I did. On the class of 2013 site, it only has 2012’s testing out criteria, but I don’t even meet those requirements. I don’t know if class of 2013’s are out yet. can’t find them. did everyone receive this mailing, or was it sent to only people who tested out of writing 5? o.O</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure everyone gets them, mostly because the entering class’s criteria for testing out of writing five hasn’t been established yet.</p>
<p>that being said, HUM 1 and 2 is a pretty brutal schedule. Usually not all 3 (or however many) profs aren’t great in discussion both terms, and it’s a ton of reading. During your first term, you might not want to devote so much time to reading that’s not always that interesting or engaging (I know I didn’t). But since you have discussion every class (basically), you have to. Some people love it, a lot of people hate it. just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>thanks rnl. actually, that’s exactly why i posted this thread. I really really hope I didn’t test out of writing 5, because of two reasons. 1) I really think my writing could use the work and 2) i really don’t want to take an intensive reading (time consuming) class my first term of college. I’d rather be taking some easier classes and spending some time just exploring and getting used to college life.</p>
<p>is HUM 1 and 2 the only options we have if we place out of Writing 5? I don’t know the requirements yet, but I’m pretty certain that I will place out of it if there’s an exemption this year. 
but HUM 1 and 2 don’t sound very fun…</p>
<p>If you place out of Writing 5, you take your freshman seminar in the fall- there are lots to choose from. Hum 1&2 is an option to take INSTEAD of writing 5.</p>
<p>AWESOMENESS. was not aware of that piece of info, that makes me feel better. 8D</p>
<p>Does anyone know when the writing 5 exemptions will be posted? I’m just curious since it’s mid-August already, and the 2013 site hasn’t indicated anything… I wish the selection of writing 5 courses was as varied as the Seminars :(</p>
<p>Even if you place out of Writing 5 you can still choose to take it if you feel your writing needs work.</p>
<p>My kid took Humanities 1&2 last year. He liked the reading, but found the discussion group disappointing first term, better second term. (They mix up the sections for the second term, so you aren’t with the same students and prof the entire time.) Some people he knew were sufficiently turned off after the first term that they dropped it, even though that meant they had to take another writing seminar. (You only get credit for a writing seminar if you take both terms.)</p>
<p>I was appalled to hear that they give quizzes and exams that have “prove you’ve done the reading” questions such as “who is this character.” That’s totally high school IMNSHO. I expect a college literature course to have multiple papers, not exams, and if they do have exams they should have essay questions of the “compare and contrast” variety.</p>
<p>I ended up placing out of Writing 5 last year and took a first year seminar (NOT Humanities 1,2) during my fall term. It was okay, but I feel like my writing didn’t really improve much. There were no tests (which was nice) and only ~3 papers. Maybe I would have improved more had I taken Writing 5.</p>
<p>I did ask during orientation whether I could take Writing 5 even though I had placed out of it. The answer I got (from the person who was giving the talk about the writing requirement) was no, and so I stopped pursuing that option. Maybe with some more effort I would have succeeded…</p>
<p>I, personally, am not a particularly avid reader, and I would have drowned in the Humanities 1,2 reading. My seminar did assign reading, but enforcement was far from strict. Indeed, Consolation, “prove you’ve done the reading” questions are very high school… glad I didn’t have to deal with those.</p>