This is a mistake in strategy. Ultimately, most students will have to write papers. Indeed, in some upperdivision and graduate-level courses, a paper often will be the total basis on which the instructor will evaluate the student's performance. Thus, the beginning student should place priority on honing his or her skills in this area as soon as possible.
Some schools even offer a course in report writing.
Ask your counselor if he or she recommends that you take such a course. It is well beyond the scope of this book to provide specific instruction for writing papers, but here is a list of some general suggestions. Fulfill your English language requirements in your freshman and sopho-more years. Writing skills are essential for students to succeed. Putting off English classes until your junior or senior year may cost you in terms of lower grades in other classes.