Driving lesson support thread

[FannyFeatures]

Anyone else out there learning to drive?

I'm 33 and after years of not wanting/needing to drive I'm finally at the stage where it will actually make my life so much easier!

Currently managing quiet roads easily but struggling a bit with roundabouts but it's more confidence than anything else.

Theory test is booked for the middle of May too 🤯

NightDreaming one of the best pieces
of advice I've been given is to treat your test as another mock.

You can try again, as frustrating as it will be, but don't put so much pressure on yourself. It's a means to an end and at worst you get to experience an actual test which could ease your nerves a bit of you did have to do it again... I say this as the biggest worrier around and end up panicking myself but still, it makes sense 😂

Hmwhatsmynameagain, thanks will have a look at that one.

I'm hopeless at this stuff 😂

Oh, funny I’ve found this. I recently booked in driving lessons and start 11th May! Did around 20 hours 12 or so year ago but again, didn’t have the push to get through. Getting married next year and hopefully babies after that and I can’t imagine trying to navigate public transport with a pushchair (big up to all those mums that do because Christ I find it hard enough just me!)
Have a theory test the day before I start actual lessons and then 2 lessons a week with an instructor. DP hopefully taking me out in the week too. Fingers crossed for all of us!!

NightDreaming - good luck

Good luck @NightDreaming !!!

Me too. Lesson later today. I don't think I'll ever enjoy it, but I really need to get my license. Good luck to all with tests. Theory for me in a month, I'm using the driving test success DVD and app.

I had well over 40hrs of driving lessons, but still keep making silly mistakes there and there. I want to be just done with the lessons.

Persevere persevere, at least I am much better than I was 10 hrs ago when I was totally hopeless at busy traffic London roundabout.

Same here. Started lessons 4 weeks ago so had eight hours so far. Never really wanted to bother driving as I lived in a city with great transport links but we moved to an area where public transport is dire and the DC are in a school 1.5 miles away. I’m walking 18000 steps a day atm which isn’t bad for my health but it’s driving me berserk .

So far done parallel parking, roundabouts, junctions, traffic lights and basic driving round quiet roads. We ventured onto busier roads for the first time yesterday and I drove myself home. Don’t think I came up for breath, was literally shaking when I got home!

Passed my theory a week before I started lessons so glad that part is out of the way at least. Wanting to pass my test by the end of July otherwise the six week holidays will be miserable.

I passed !!! 😵😵😵😵☺️☺️☺️☺️

Sorry to be one of those people who went on and on about nerves etc. Then just goes and passes. I’ve read so many of these driving threads then seen people one by one saying “passed” and although very happy for them I’ve also had a small part of my brain thinking bugger, buggery-bugger, fook you. Which was much more about me then them, obviously.

Wishing all the rest of you the best of luck. But it’s not just luck. You are ALL capable of doing it. Give yourselves time, patience & lots of practice! 😘😘😘

😁😁🎉🎉 Well-done @NightDreaming!!!

So happy for you, don't apologise at all. If anything I think it's reassuring to see that you can do it even with a few nerves. Everyone I know who drives always seems so calm and confident making it look effortless which left me thinking I must be naturally shit at it lol

Well done!!! So pleased for you!!

@Outvoid, I could've written your post.

School is 1mile away, my work is 2 miles so I do drop off - work - 2 miles home - 1 mile to pick up - 1 mile home again and there not including getting anywhere else plus transport is crap.

Holidays are dire!

Can I join you all. I started learning in 2017, after not being able to for years due to a medical condition). However I really didn't on with instructor so stopped after only a few lessons, meaning to find a new one but life kept getting in the way.

I have been learning again since the end of last year and have my test booked in for the 19th June.

I do enjoy driving and don't seem to have many problems or make many mistakes anymore but for some reason I have no confidence in passing yet.

Congratulations @NightDreaming !

Yay, congrats 🎉🎉

@FannyFeatures you need to work out if there’s anything helps reduce the nerves. My instructor pointed out to me this morning that everyone goes to the test a bit nervous, that’s just how tests work. Its about keeping control of them.

Though lots of mock tests I realised that I needed to keep talking. If I over focused on the driving I fucked up. So that’s what I did. I talked my way through the test. So much so the examiner had to tell me to stop talking a couple of times so she could give me instructions. She also had to do the ‘show me’ question in the last minute as my chatting made her forget to do it earlier 😆

And thanks for the messages everyone. Will try to come back on here to support you on your test days.

As I’ve said, you can all do it. Gives yourself a chance. xxx

I have my first lesson tomorrow. I'm
So nervous. It's straight after school drop off though so at least I don't have time to think about it!

I've been learning to drive since late last year, I did loads of lessons when I was 17, wish I'd stuck with it then!
I have my test on Friday - hoping to pass this time 😂

I was a very late bloomer with driving.

I'd never had a lesson before last July, I passed my practical test in March this year (1 minor, passed first time).

I was the most nervous driver EVER in my first 10 lessons and kept just cocking up the most ridiculous little things. But! It does honestly get easier, it becomes second nature to change gear, to check mirrors and to do everything you thought you'd never get the hang of.

Theory test - I got 47/50 on the theory and just scraped the hazard perception (not got the paperwork with me so don't know my exact score). The hazard perception is shite (pardon my language) and I don't know if I wasn't clicking enough, or too much... Just treat it as another mock test (as a PP mentioned) and don't stress over it. You can re-do it as many times as you like. A lot of the questions I got were common sense and there are some good smartphone apps about that will help you out.

Practical test: The WORST pre-test lesson ever! I was speeding (35 in a 30 because I didn't realise that the 30mph road that he took me down on every bleeding lesson was a 30 and not a 40), stalled it at every opportunity, couldn't park, couldn't tell him where my de-misters were, went in the wrong lane at 3 roundabouts. It was like everything he'd taught me had just gone out of my head.
The actual test was a breeze, I just thought it through like it was a lesson, but instead of my instructor it was someone who was just observing my driving. I was nervous, but I just got on with it, I was either going to pass or fail (and if I would have failed, I would have worked on what I failed on and tried again). I spoke to myself throughout the test. The examiner must have thought I wasn't right in the head because I just kept muttering things like 2nd gear, brake, slow down, speed up etc. I did it though! It's one of the hardest things i've ever done but worth it in the end!

I did a thread on here only last week about how I was struggling with roundabouts and stalling, and loads of people gave really good advice so please don't worry, because it will become natural and you will wonder why you ever worried in the first place!

Congratulations if you've made it this far down my post without yawning (it ended up pretty long)

Please please stick at it! :)

My lesson went really well yesterday. He said I shouldn't need too many lessons! It all came back to me and the automatic was a revelation!!! I wish I'd done it years ago!

Well done @Simonfromharlow, told you it's come back :o

My friend took me out in his car yesterday (I'm insured on his car) and I swear I had a major brain fart! Nothing actually happened but my confidence took a knocking because we came across a hill junction and I had to stop on it with a van behind me and I've never done that before so I panicked and rolled back a bit which meant he needed to grab the handbrake for me. I was mortified 😳

He says it was no big deal, he didn't plan the route well but still!

I've a proper lesson again with instructor tomorrow so hopefully she'll help refocus and build me up again.

mrswx how did it go on Friday?

Hope everyone’s lessons are going well x

My test is in the morning! I had a 2 hour lesson on Saturday and covered a couple of the test routes and recapped all the manoeuvres, I'm as ready as I will ever be.

🤞🤞🤞🤞 whatsmyname x

Late learner here too (this is my fourth round of lessons, always given up before). I didn’t know it was possible to be so enormously shit at something but there you go! Been having weekly lessons for a year and don’t feel much further forward but just going to keep going- it’s got to click one day right??

Good luck tomorrow whatsmyname, show us how it’s done!