My 1st driving lesson was today! Please tell me it gets easier

[SundayIsCalling]

I didn't even go beyond driving in first gear

It's the bloody accelerator! I'm finding it so tricky to find the correct amount of acceleratoryness. There is a little thing that tells you on the dash board obviously but I've been not to look at that and 'listen out' for the correct sound that the level should make.

I finally managed to stop correctly by the end of the lesson. Prior to that, I was stopping with what I thought was a gentle nudge and flinging the poor driving instructor backwards

People have told me they did a few different gears and different roads on their first lesson, with no previous experience (like me).

How the hell does my DMum chat away and listen to the radio, all whilst staying focused on the roads and managing to use the accelerator correctly?

I know everything else is muscle memory and just getting the hang of it, but the acceleration part looks as if it takes immense concentration 24/7.

My only compliment from the instructor was 'I love that you ask all these questions' (he seemed genuine and not sarcastic), and 'you have very good hand control on the steering wheel'.

So can someone please clarify...

It's push down on the clutch pedal
Accelerate
Put the car into first gear
Push down the hand break
Lift foot to correct position the get car in motion
Remove said foot from clutch
Keep foot on accelerator and off you go!
Steer with wheel.

Am I right?

I simply couldn't learn the gears, steering and everything else together. I changed to automatic and passed first time. When I had been driving a year I learnt again with gears and again passed first time. Much less stressful.

In fairness to you a riding school pony is likely to know what's expected of it when it's being ridden in a lesson and can anticipate which patterns of riding and commands are leading up to a particular outcome (like cantering). So might still respond even if your prompts aren't quite right, because it knows that after it's been asked to do xyz it will be asked to canter and then it gets to go back. And if you have good balance you'll stay on for it!

Riding school horses are often more tricky to ride! And its more than just kicking to go and then trotting and cantering.

Knowing how to rise and fall properly in your seat isn't as easy as it seems to begin with, neither is hand placement on the reins etc

I think I'm just meant to ride a nice horse everywhere and not a car

I hear you op. I've actually had my automatic licence for a number of years but decided to try and learn to drive properly. I'm 2 lessons in and it's tough going - plus I've picked up some bad habits over the years. Stick at it and I hope it becomes second nature to us both

Best of luck Noel

Don't expect to be like others who pass in ten lessons.
Concentrate on things you can practice on, looking around noticing road signs etc.

First lessons are always tough, and even if they aren't sometimes there are lessons you think bugger this lol but persevere I wish I had done it ten years ago.

I am currently learning too and unfortunately I am not naturally brilliant at driving either I did a 'mock test' the other day, which honestly made me want to quit. But alas, I am not a quitter.

It does get easier, promise.