Now, let's say you have taken all of your pre-requisites and gotten all the letters of recommendation that you need. You've got enough books in the library to read through them for hours, maybe even night classes. You have enough hours at home to do all of your homework on your own. And, perhaps most importantly, you have enough free time to practice your writing skills - maybe just like you used to do when you were a kid. These are all valid reasons to start learning how to write a research paper, but they do not always lead to success.