I have mentioned this on other forums. The dreaded F chord is always difficult in the very beginning, but it does get easier. Also, as mentioned in other posts, that shape is very useful across the whole guitar neck. That is a standard barre chord shape, so once complete; you can play that shape anywhere and play a ton of your favorite songs. That being said though, there are ways to accomplish playing F without playing the dreaded barre chords. This doesn't mean you should not learn this shape, but these shapes are a little easier in the beginning. Here are some ways you can play F on the E, B, and G strings.

E: 1st Fret
B: 1st Fret
G: 2nd Fret

E: 5th Fret
B: 6th Fret
G: 5th Fret

E: 8th Fret
B: 10th Fret
G: 10th Fret

All of these play the same notes, and are much easier to play in the beginning I feel. Below is a link to a video I did on this concept, using a D major chord. Take a look and see if you can see the connection. Best of luck.

http://guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=12502&c_id=13&ch_id=78&s_id=646