Canon 35mm camera

[thebeginning]

I'm going to be taking a photography class where an all-manual camera is required. I have a nikon f3, which i love (i actually spent very little money on my lenses, and i'm having to pay for it. my photos are consistently soft, and I'm pretty darn sure it's not because i'm focusing wrong :) ). I'm saving up for a 20d and a couple lenses, so i'm wondering if after the class nice autofocus (which i know is partly the lens and the camera), but nothing too pricey, probably something under $250, so probably not a professional camera, just a sturdy one. Do you think i should save up for that so i can use the lenses I buy for my 20d with it or do you think i should just sell my bad manual focus lenses and get 1 or 2 nice ones for my nikon?