First driving lesson in ages -terrified!

[dazedandconfuse]

So I've had driving lessons on and off since I was 17. I'm now almost 21, and onto my third driving instructor. My first instructor taught my mum and all four of my siblings and they all loved her and passed first time but I just did not get on with her at all! The second instructor made a really racist comment so I stopped lessons with her because I couldn't get past it, and now I'm terrified about my third instructor as I'm getting desperate to pass.

I'm terrible at driving and I often feel very uncomfortable with people I don't know and because I haven't got on with my last two instructors I'm terrified of meeting another new one 😩😩 I'm feeling super anxious, worried and don't know how to calm myself down in time for my lesson in a couple of hours! Not sure what advice anyone can give me but anything would be appreciated

[youvegottobekidding]

How did you get on OP?

It's important you feel comfortable and at ease with an instructor, especially if you are anxious about learning to drive - we all don't have an 'in-built' burning desire to get in the road as quickly as humanly possible!

Do you get encouragement from your mum & siblings? Are you learning in a manual? How would you feel trying an automatic - it's a lot easier and can take a lot of pressure off.

I started to learn 2 years ago, at 42 years old! So I left it at a very late age to learn, partly because I never had the money when I was younger, nor the encouragement from my parents at all. Learning hasn't come easy, it's been a real fear of mine.

I went straight away in an automatic, knowing I'd never grasp the clutch/gear thing. I started out with a lovely lady instructor, failed two tests. Then gave up for 6 months. Then I looked for another instructor, mainly because there really wasn't anything more my first instructor could teach me - I think I was just frustrating her! So I found a new instructor - he's totally different - in so many ways. Okay so he's a he, so first off we don't 'chat' like I did with my first instructor so there's no chatting about home life, baking, kids, life, anything like that, it's strictly just driving or nothing. I think I focus more with him, he's shown me different ways of looking at things, I suppose all instructors are different. I failed my 3rd & forth test with him. Now he's frustrated - because he says I'm a damn good driver, one of his best so he doesn't get it why I've made 1 stupid mistake that cost me to fail! That was 2months ago, I kind of gave up again!

So I've booked another test, my fifth, been back in touch with my instructor. It'll be under the new test guidelines. The thing is I can't give up. You shouldn't either, you're 21! It's a whole lot harder when you're older believe me, so keep at it, even if you feel you need to change instructors again, you'll find one that you'll click with. Good luck!