Learning to drive.

[LaurieLaurie]

@LaurieLaurie how are you feeling with your test fast approaching?

I’m excited for it.. It’s 4 weeks tomorrow. How about you? It’s this month isn’t it? My biggest worry is someone else driving like an idiot as it’s happened on a few lessons recently.

 

[Thank(space)you]

Ugh, I'm so fed up of having lessons now. I spend all Monday resenting the fact I've got a lesson the next day

 

[HoGi]

So my instructor is thinking of postponing my test (booked for end of sept) as he's questioning if I'm gonna be ready by then
I made 2 mistakes today during the entire lesson:

1/ checked my mirrors as I was slowing down rather than before
2/selected 4th gear rather than 2nd (but realised and corrected myself before he said anything)

He said it was a fantastic lesson, I'm making his job really easy and I need to be consistently driving well.

He's not happy about next week but said he can't reschedule for another day and just to let him know as soon as I know if I need to cancel or not.

You seriously need to try a lesson with another instructor.

Based on everything you post, your current instructor sounds incredibly difficult and as if he is stringing you along. Please please please try another instructor as least for 1 lesson just to see what they say.

 

[kittypaws]

With the app you can also flag the questions you struggle with, so there were some which were piss easy and I got right every time, but there were some that every time it cropped up I was like "shit I can't remember" so I flagged those ones so they appear more often and you eventually you'll remember the answer if you answer it often enough if that makes sense? For me personally there were about 10 questions which I could never remember and I just focused on those and made sure I always got them right and the rest were common sense.

I was so overwhelmed at the beginning when I started revising and thought "do I really need to read all this" there were some sections I definitely did need to read but generally what I kept doing is doing the mock tests and seeing which areas I was really weak on and I'd go and read that section.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Oh thank you so much my test is so soon
Please pray for me guys I need to pass
If I don’t pass I’m giving up with driving for life

Stop putting this enormous pressure on yourself! Just relax. If you pass - wonderful. If you don’t pass then no drama, just take it again.

 

[Shoequeen91]

I had two instructors. My first one made me a bag of nerves to the point that I was considering only learning automatic. I’d only had three lessons with him. My second one was completely different. I had around 40 lessons and passed first time. He put me at ease, was really happy for me when I passed. Usually just need someone who has faith in you. Well I did when I was learning as a nineteen year old.

Agree with everyone who says ‘sod ‘em’ re: having loyalty or leaving. If you aren’t clicking with someone and/or it isn’t working, at the end of it all you’re paying for a service.

 

[megsmagoo]

Yeah now that it’s happened I can’t drive anywhere by myself unless it’s really local because im scared it’s going to break down, not worth the stress of it. Taking it to the garage today and if it’s more than 500 to fix we’re going to scrap it

 

[BettyCrockerr]

I'm in Somerset, UK.

I can't remember all of the majors but the ones I remember are:

*didn't stop at a closed junction
*did stop at an open junction
*didn't accelerate quick enough onto a roundabout which caused a car to slow down
*mounted the pavement during a parallel park
* looking in my mirrors only when joining a dual carriageway from a slip road, rather than also looking over my shoulder.

you have another month before your test date right? That’s loads of time. Can you have a couple of lessons a week between now and then? I’d be cracking out the lessons and spending each one literally going over and over these issues - your instructor needs to be focusing on the weakest areas. Stopping at junctions for example is fairly basic - for the purpose of the lesson and the test just stop, regardless of what you can see. You have to ever so slightly over exaggerate what you do - like when you check your mirrors & your blind spot, make it really obvious what you are doing - I actually used to say it out loud, “check mirrors, now looking over my blind spot and it’s all clear so I’m safe to go” - right I know that might sound daft but it makes it obvious to your instructor or the examiner that you know what you are doing

 

[Magee]

I passed my theory test today

I also have a mock test booked in for 4 weeks time! So proud of myself.

Was coming on the thread tonight to ask how it went! Congrats! One step closer

Think I’ll have a look at this YouTube channel, I find it way easier to see it and then replicate! Love a thread like this, full of useful info and supportive people xx

 

[Kthxbye]

Sat doing a bay park today and my instructor starts talking about bondage..!? He’s said a few odd things about women in catsuits before or talked about where the ‘ladies of the night’ worked but I felt so uncomfortable.

My 17 year old brother was learning with him too but he suddenly sacked him and he’s waiting to learn with someone else. I’m wondering what he’s said to him!

2.5 weeks til my test or id be off!

Report them to the DVSA. Thats just so inappropriate.

 

[under the ivy]

Hey everyone! So happy to have found this thread. I start my lessons tomorrow. I’m a complete beginner at driving but passed my theory last year. Had a taster lesson with my instructor last week and she was so lovely and made me feel at ease. I’m ridiculously nervous now though. I’ve been watching YouTube videos etc. but are there any tips you can offer which you would of liked to have been given when you were in my position?

It’s completely normal to feel nervous! Learning to drive is a huge thing to do! I still get anxious before my lessons and I’ve got almost 20 hours under my belt.

Your instructor will probably just go through the basics on your first lesson (cockpit drill, starting and stopping) and build from there. The main thing I’ve learnt in my lessons is to not compare myself to other drivers on the road and remember this is a skill I’m learning.

Let us know how you get on

 

[realhousewivewannabe]

Hiya! So I learnt manual when I was 17 had driving lessons on and off and didn’t pass I think 3 tests (I also went to uni, moved away etc so stopped learning) anyway I passed first time on automatic, bought myself an automatic car when I was 25 and honestly learning auto was the best decision I made. Wish I learnt automatic when I was 17 I would have passed first time I reckon! I’m a bit of an anxious driver I think because I passed late I don’t like driving far or hills, I think if I did it at 17 I would have been driving up and down the country

 

[nightfeedz]

Lesson went really well she said there's a few tweaks we need to work on but nothing major and she sees absolutely no reason why I won't pass my test next month

Yippee!! Good for you x

 

[HoGi]

Lol me I only reverse park if I have no other choice

I'm the complete opposite. I can't for the life of my front bay park

If I can't reverse in it, or drive right through so I'm front on for pulling out, I'm not parking there haha

 

[judsmum]

Well, after having my second test cancelled twice since March I’ve just re-booked. 17th of September. I’ve not told any one other than my husband and dad. I’m already feeling sick just thinking about it. I can drive but I just can’t park.

 

[Ef27]

I took my test back when I was 17 as I lived in the middle of nowhere and desperately needed to drive. During my three point turn I tapped the curb and just thought oh fuck it, I've failed so drove normally. When we got to the test centre the examiner said congratulations and I was like eh?? but he said as soon as I had let go of the nerves he could see I was a safe and considerate driver... I went home all sad and my Dad goes 'I knew you wouldn't pass' until I slapped the certificate down in front of him and he had to eat his words

Funny two people have told me this happened to them where they made a mistake and thought “well fuck it I’ve failed” might aswell keep going and they passed cause they stopped worrying Also my dad has been accompanying me and he is so negative all the time telling me everything wrong and never right it drains me and makes me believe I’m shit so I’m hoping the instructor will be nice as my nerves are shot thinking about my test tomorrow

 

[Upintheair83]

Thank you everyone sharing your success stories! So wonderful to hear people’s achievements! Well done @Upintheair83 ! You should be so proud!

Awww thanks! I just wanted to share my success story because I truly understand how everyone on here feels. I really was and still am frightened of driving, but I do feel so much better now I have passed. It took me years and years!! I just want people to know that it’s not unusual to feel these things- it’s so easy to get discouraged or to listen to people who make remarks about not passing. But you can do it! I was so under confident and I was daunted by the whole thing, I do think it’s getting an instructor who you gel with, I think it’s half the battle. Keep going everyone and have faith in yourself. Xxx

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Hello all here is a question should I do my theory before I do some driving lessons also I really have bad anxiety what's the best advice also manual or automatic sorry for the questions

Start looking at the theory stuff and get the theory test booked in, then book some lessons in. start doing your lessons between now and when your theory is booked for.

have a go leaning in a manual - if you find it really tricky and the issue is with the gears etc then swap
to automatic if that’s more suitable for you. Just remember that if you take your test in an automatic then you’ll only be able to then drive automatic cars. but it’s up to you. you won’t know until you try a few lessons in a manual - so just give it a go.

 

[Beatrix]

Well done!
I learnt to drive in my early thirties after some awful instructor experiences in my twenties. Having a good instructor you gel with is so important.

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer your advice. I didn't see your first message until now but I did make him aware that I am struggling with the steering. I feel like he is taking over at times because he can tell I'm anxious and slow at reading the road but I don't think that's helping me learn. I don't think the lesson was great unfortunately but he said my pedalwork is good and the steering is getting a bit better. I don't feel like it is much better because he spent most of the lesson with with hand on the steering wheel which doesn't help me as such. :/ I wish I had access to a car to practice when I'm not having lessons but that's not possible for me. I'm having 2 lessons next week one on Tuesday and one on Saturday so I'm hoping 3 hours in total will help me feel a bit more confident. I don't really feel like I'm learning that much because the steering isn't coming to me but my driving instructor seems to think if I had started lessons when I was a bit younger that would have helped but I don't think so as I've always been quite an anxious person. I'm unsure as to whether I should carry on or just quit for now.

Please don’t quit. It just takes time to learn to drive. I think it sometimes seems that people pick it up really quickly and have a few lessons and that’s it, and maybe for some it does come more easily but I actually found it took me ages to learn to drive. My weakness when I was learning was judging the speeds of other cars and learning to multi task - for example going into busy roundabouts with heavy fast traffic - i found it hard to judge when to pull out and found it hard to get quick enough at pulling away onto the roundabout etc but it just takes repetitive practice over a long period of time.