Driver's Ed! BLAH!

[thebritt]

Emzyyy, I really like you, (from what I've read on your posts). I have an 18 yr old daughter whom just got her licence in June. We couldn't afford the drivers' school ($230!), so she had to wait, much to her dismay! The only thing you can do is to "get into the (driving) "zone". You've got to pretend the guy isn't next to you, and JUST DRIVE! You know what you're supposed to do. Always come to a COMPLETE stop. ALWAYS look BOTH WAYS - LEFT - RIGHT - LEFT AGAIN! You KNOW how to drive because you've been a passenger for the last 16 years, right? You really need to convey CONFIDENCE to your instructor, and hopefully he'll pick up on it and chill out...
Good Luck!

 

[beak]

Your going to DIE. Just kidding. Pay attention and get your Mom to take you out driving more. Proficient driving comes with experience. Here in Colorado the kids have to drive 50 hours with their parents over 1 year. I've taught 2 of my kids to drive and I make sure we do the whole 50 hours. I won't let them get their license till I feel safe with them. One was a girl and the other a boy. My son knew a lot more about driving than my daughter. They both tried to kill me a couple times and I did have to grab the wheel once when my son tried to go the wrong way while making a left turn. It was raining real hard. So far they are ok but I always worry.

Just be careful and always pay attention. Always be defensive and always check both ways at intersections for idiots running the light and don't tail gate. When your Mon babbles at you about driving, listen instead of tuning her out. She might just have a useful driving tip for you. Sometimes we adults actually know something. Most of the time it's just babble though.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

I just got done with driver's ed last month

And you are right, IT'S BORING! I hated my driving instructor too. I swear his talking would put me to sleep and they he said stuff when I did something wrong or something I was trying to figure out, he would scold me like i broke a prized vase or something

I can go take my driving test to get my license any time and I would like to get it soon. Don't worry, it's not as hard as it seems. My worst part was my turns and they're getting better. The key is to practice and DO NOT PANIC! And do not let your emotions get to you! I had a bad experience right after school got out. My mom was having me drive to the bank and I was getting angry at something she said. Well, I wasn't paying attention and when I went to turn, I almost hit a kid on his bike!

It scared the crap out of me and once I got home I cried. I was terrified.. Keep you eyes peeled and scan around to watch for pedestrians and animals.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

When I took drivers ed (The actual driving part that we had to pay for) I went outside afterschool to meet my instructor and he opened the driver's side door and told me to get in. Shortly after adjusting the seat and the mirrors, he told me to turn onto the road and we drove straight into the busy little town! I had very little idea of what to do, as I had only been on the road a couple of times before. Luckily my instructor was very nice and laid back, so he didn't make me very nervous. Sure, I was nervous to begin driving, but it helps if you are really excited about driving too. I couldn't WAIT to drive on my own. However, I've had friends who weren't really sure about driving, and there's nothing wrong with waiting. Just because you are older, doesn't mean you are more likely to get in an accident. Even though a state may say teens are ready to drive at 16 or 17 or whatever the age, doesn't mean EVERYBODY is ready to drive at that time.

Now when I took my class, it was three days in a row. Day one, we parallel parked and worked on K turns. Day two, I drove on a major highway. Day three, we reviewed it all. It was a lot all at once and I didn't necessarily remember everything I learned, but it was such a wonderful experience.

The person who really made me nervous when I started driving was my dad. He was always very calm (surprising for him!), rarely yelled, and he knew what to teach me. Problem was, he's a cop and for some reason that always scared me when I drove! LOL I always told my mom I liked driving with her better, even though she could be so nervous sometimes! I joked around saying that at least she couldn't arrest me for doing something wrong!

If you have someone who can take you to an empty parking lot to practice before you go on the road, you may find yourself a bit more relaxed with the instructor. If you can't find someone to do that with, you may want to just sit in the car (turned off) and just play with your feet on the pedals and your hands on the different shift sticks. Familiarize yourself with the location of everything in the car. This helped me tremendously when I was learning how to drive stick.

You'll survive, I'm sure you will. I couldn't imagine myself driving and now I've been on the roads for almost five years...accident free! (Except for that tree I bumped into when I was backing up, but don't worry, things WILL happen. You just have to drive responsibly and feel confident behind the wheel)

 

[mamagardener]

Quote:
I did too, and he took me into a busy town near us on an uphill street that was very busy and made me parallel park. I had never parallel parked before, and I was very nervous-but I did it!!!
You will be fine, and have your license before you even know it!!

 

[clickie]

lol I just started driving. I am taking lessons at AAA. I guess I'm lucky because my driving teacher is really nice. At first I hated driving because he made me drive on an extremly busy road, for my first time driving llol. I was super scared. But my mom took me out later and had me drive around my neighborhood. He wants me to go on the highway next week ahhhh. lol. But I understand, my teacher makes me redo everything if I forget to look a certain way or if I forgot to put a light on. Oh well it takes a lot of practice lol. Is there a way you could switch to a different teacher, one that won't scream at you. He shouldn't be yelling at you if you do something wrong, that is why you are taking lessons.Good Luck, I'm sure you will do fine.

 

[Emzyyy]

UGHH. Just last week I got in trouble with him because I went around a dove that landed in front of the car and it wouldn't fly away when I was inches from the thing. I was scared I was going to hit it and it wasn't a busy road and I wasn't going fast at all so I don't see why I couldn't of gone around it. He told me I could "run the car up a tree for a dog," when HE is not in the car.

 

[clickie]

I think you need a different teacher. My teacher had me stop for turkeys and a woodchuck that was near the road, but not on it.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
If it can be avoided then do so, but any other time, don't be afraid to hit it. Better to hit an animal than cause an accident.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

I took drivers ed last year, and LOVED IT! My teacher was so awesome. He made sure you could do it all for yourself, but he was still very supportive. If you did something wrong, he would just say "well, then you know how to do it right the next time."

One piece of advice: DO NOT GO DRIVING WITH YOUR MOM WHILE IN THE CLASS.

My mom taught me how to drive, and here we have to have our permit before the class. I would do things the way she taught me, and they would be wrong so he would have to re-teach me. Then I would do it RIGHT in the car with her and she would yell at me for doing it a different way. So basically I had to master TWO styles of driving at once. The hardest thing for me, and it still is, is remembering to look over my shoulder when changing lanes, not just using my mirrors.

When I took my driving test the first time, I failed. The second time I ruined a hubcap, but passed.