**********Learning to drive for the terrified part 3*******

[MrsSlowLearner]

That's better

Hi dillinger

Your post made me smile because you sound just like i did ,if you read down the thread you will see how nervous i was (nickname was also MrsSlowLearner)
Believe me you can pass.
I never dreamt that the day would come when i would hold a driving liscence and i did it in December.
I can understand the panic attacks completely and the fear you have just thinking about a test.
You sound like you have found a good instructor whom you get on well with(i believe this is part of the solution)
Keep posting on here it really does help

xxx

Mims, how did it go today ... did you pass.

I passed on my ninth. The feeling is indescribable.

Shoot, I ment to post to ask Maggiems how her test went today, not mims (who is mims?)

Well, whatever good luck to maggiems

Well done yogagirl!!

Thankyou, had my lesson this morning and we discussed it, she said she cant see why I shouldnt pass my test before baby comes, and so shes going to book it for me tonight

Im excited, but in my experience theres a very fine line between the feeling of being excited and anxious... I'll just have to keep telling myself its excitement Ive been a user of rescue remedy for years now lol

So hopefully I'll be able to get a slot in 5/6 weeks, we're going to start making our lessons double ones, and I'll have to start driving dp's car to get some extra practise in.

Quite mad to think Im almost there, after so many years stopping and starting and putting it off. Im telling myself that even if I dont manage it this time, at least Ive had a taster and will know more what to expect should I have to do it again.

How did people find the show me tell me part?

Show me tell me was easier than I thought it'd be - the examiner just asked me to tell him how I'd check the brake lights were working and how to check the handbrake for excessive wear. Both questions were done sitting in the car - maybe he took pity on me with my huge bump!

TBH none of the questions are rocket science - here they are but I got my instructor to run through them with me the day before the test.

One other thing: after weeks of lessons lasting 1hr or more, the test itself went by in a flash - 30 mins of driving seemed so short by comparison.

I'm really glad you're going to go for it: hope you get a test date soon. I know it's scary but honestly, mine was much less intimidating than I thought it would be. It sounds like you're really well prepared - so best of luck and keep me posted about how you're getting on. xx

Thanks, I have a list of the questions from my instructor, I just need to spend a bit of time under the bonnet I think!

Did you know the test area well? Only asking because I'll be taking the test where Im not very familiar with the roads (apart from being shown on lessons etc whereas when I took my test years ago it was where I lived) and so Im not sure whether this would work against me, iyswim. My instructor reckons its better this way as I will have to concentrate properly, whereas Im not sure if itll just make things more difficult!

I guess it shouldnt matter one way or the other really, if Im at test standard I should be able to drive anywhere!

Went out this morning with dp for a drive, was fine enough, made myself do a bay park and a turn in the road lol, hoping next sunday to brush up on reversing round corners and maybe a parallel (sp?) park.

One thing that gets on my nerves are the amount of drivers that think its ok to drive up your arse cos you've got L plates

That drove me crazy too - not our fault we have to stick to the speed limit...

I actually ended up taking my test at a different centre than the one I'd been training for (it was the only slot available before my due date) and some of the roads were unfamiliar to me but it really wasn't a problem. But in the 3 weeks between booking and taking the test, my instructor did show me a lot of the trickier roads I might be taken down (weird one-way systems etc) - could your instructor do the same for you? You're paying so much for the lessons, she should do if you ask her IMO.

More of a problem was the centre I'd originally planned to go to didn't do bay parking, so I had just three weeks to learn how to do that . As for parking in the tight spaces in my road now I've passed, I have no idea how I'm going to do it. Keep saying to DP we should move to LA where there's valet parking everywhere

At least all this driving stuff is taking my mind off the imminent arrival of DC number one... either that or I'm in serious denial. Hope your pregnancy's progressing well: I really admire you for continuing your lessons while pg and with a toddler to look after.

Im sure my instructor will take me on various roads near the test centre, I guess Im just a bit worried about that cos its nowhere near where Ive been driving lol Fingers crossed it'll all go ok.

Pregnancy is going ok thanks (hope yours is too) Im not enjoying it as much this time though cos Im so anxious about the birth.

To be honest I didnt want to give up on the lessons yet again, to then get worked up about it all again so it seemed the best thing to do - just keep at it!

Its only just 8.30am and Im incredibly nervous today thinking about the test, I wonder how the hell Im going to manage it I know its not really that big a deal - can take your test as much as you want etc but its been hanging over me for such a long time now I cant help but place everything on doing it this time.

Im finding the nerves Im feeling so difficult to cope with, Im stressed and taking it out on dp.

I know a degree of nervousness can be beneficial in situations like these but when you've spent as long as you can remember removing yourself from situations that bring on the nervous feelings, when you DO face something unknown etc its made worse, iyswim.

I looked to see where the test centre is, and read that the pass rate is around 42%?! So obv thats not exactly filled me with confidence!

I dont know if I can handle feeling like this for the next 6 weeks. I felt confident before and now I feel like Im not ready. I dont know if thats the case, or just me trying to put myself off, as per usual.

How the frig did you all manage to stay calm??

Well I suppose I had better join you lot as I have my 1st driving lesson in 13 years next week

Age 33 with 5 kids and a car that just sits outside while dh rides to work is silly
So I finally decided that this year I was going to drive no matter what!!!

Haven't done my theory yet either, Is it really hard now? Does anyone know where to get the 2 discs from cheaper than whsmith??

Bumping for you

Go to this website: www.2pass.co.uk/ is fab when learning to drive. I only passed last Nov and I am 33!! If I can do it, anyone can

Thanks!

I just want to tell everyone one about my learner driver "career". I was learning on and off from the age of 17 and was literally terrified before every lesson and HATED everything about learning.

Last yr I was just about to throw in the towel (I thought I was impossible to teach) and made a last ditch phone call to an instructor who specialised in teaching nervous pupils. I started with him at the end of March, he was fabulous and put me in for my test in Nov. I have never been so scared in my whole life, but I did it and to my surprise I realy enjoyed the test, had a great tester though. I passed first time and it was the best day of my life. I honestly mean it when I say that if I can do it ANYONE can. I have had a prang recently, which is going to push up my insurance, but I still love driving and I always will. Keep the faith!!

Not been on this thread for ages, last time was after I failed my first test. Well guess what....... I failed my second one as well last week! I failed with 1S and 3M, failed on going to fast round a corner I realised I was going to fast went to go for the break but examiner got there fisrt. Booked another one for the end of next month so fingers crossed. For anyone who is really nervous try rescue remedy, I took on my last test and it really calmed me down.

Sorry to hear that Snowhite, I remember taking my first test 6 years ago making some really daft mistakes and wondering 'what on earth made me do that?' its annoying when you know on lessons etc that you wouldnt do that lol Ive got my 2nd test end of next month too, good luck!

I passed my 5th driving test today. Cant believe it! I got the same examiner as I got the 4th time who gave me a huge number of faults. I nearly had heart failure when I saw him again. For the first half of the test he seemed to penalise me at every gear change and I thought well thats it , I've failed miserably again. However during the second half he hardly used his pen at all and I came away with 15 minors so just scraped through.

Am on cloud 9. I am off to collect my boys from school for the first time . They didnt know I was doing my test so they are going to be thrilled!

Snowwhite , dont worry, keep going. If I can do it anyone can. Was really really nervous for all tests. However I didnt tell anyone at all not even DH that I was doing it today. I said to myself over and over again to myself that it didnt matter if I failed, I could do it again and again and somehow that seemed to help this time and take the pressure off. I was the most relaxed today of all the tests and i think that did the trick

CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!!

Well done maggiems you must be over the
moon. I have just checked the website for a cancelation and have got one for next week .I've not told anyone either this time so I think that will take a bit of preasure off.

thanks snowhite. have you done your test yet? Good luck if not. Keep us posted

bump for dillinger

can I join??
I am taking my first driving lesson tomorrow >

Everyone else drives sooo fast - seriously, do we NEED all those other gears when surely you can go as fast as you need in 2nd..

Good luck purpleduck

thanks!

Thanks for bumping lol

I passed today! 7 minors. Feels odd now realising that Ive spent the past 6 years regretting not re taking the test! Glad to have done it now though, and with 3 weeks to go until due date!

Purpleduck - good luck for tomorrow, try and enjoy it (easier said than done I know!) and remember youve paid for the time in the car, so use it xx

Can I join? Congrats Dillinger.

I passed my theory with flying colours but I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE big roundabouts and slip roads. Everything else I am ok on, but those 2 bloody terrify me!

I use an adapted car so have hand controls which makes it tricky because I'm driving one handed.

I've had over 30 lessons so far (each 2 hours!!) but am still SO scared of getting banged on the slip road that I keep trying to stop at the end of it and I wait for so long at busy roundabouts that my instructor now pretends to have a nap.