There’s a prerequisite listed for the COLWRIT course I want to take. Do I have to fulfill that prerequisite before taking the course?

If the course you want to take is COLWRIT R4B, then yes, you absolutely must fulfill the prerequisite first semester of R&C before enrolling in the course.

For courses other than COLWRIT R4B, the answer is almost always yes, you must fulfill the prerequisite. You may contact the instructor to ask for an exception, but expect to be told that you need to fulfill the prerequisite before taking the course. Even if CalCentral allows you to enroll in the course, the instructor will likely drop you if you haven’t fulfilled the prerequisite.