How much would someone who considers himself to be a mediocre writer suffer stress and GPA-wise?
There is a lot of writing at Bard, no doubt about it, in all the courses. However, there is some help for those that need it: http://www.bard.edu/learningcommons/ “The Learning Commons provides academic support for all Bard students. We offer peer tutoring not only in writing and mathematics but also in every subject taught at the college. We offer writing and academic skills workshops, not only for the general student population but also especially for students working on moderation papers and senior projects. We help students seeking disability accommodations. And our faculty teach credit-bearing courses in writing, mathematics, English as a second language, and public speaking.”