So, I FINALLY! passed my driving test last week with just two minors. Those who know me know that it's been sort of a journey when it comes to driving and it's fair to say I cried when the examiner said the three words I never thought I would hear - 'congratulations you've passed'. It was my 5th attempt, and I know some people may snigger and think well, you must be rubbish but honestly, I kept failing for such silly things, things I would never do on a normal day. I just crumbled under the test conditions and I just found it really hard to stay calm.
When I turned 17 I was never really interested in learning to drive, the thought of it just made me feel sick but I applied for a provisional license and followed everyone else. I took a few lessons at 17 but gave them up as I was a nervous wreck behind the wheel. After a very long gap, I started my lessons back up again when I was 18 and found a really lovely woman instructor who was very patient and calm with me. I realised that the reason I didn't like driving when I was 17 is that I didn't have the right instructor for me and this is something that is very important, you're paying this instructor money and a lot of it so make sure you really get a long with their style of teaching and most importantly, make sure it benefits you.
Another benefit that gave me a lot more confidence on the road was buying a car and insuring it as a learner. I regularly went out with my mum driving for extra experience and this really helped me overcome my nerves and gain more valuable experience on the road and I really started to become a confident driver. The week before my test that I passed I went out in my car a lot and practiced everything I was a little nervous about. I even went on test routes I remembered in my head, this was really helpful for me and I think this is a big reason why I passed. I kept thinking if I can drive perfect in my car, which has NO dual controls then I can pass my test I am safe and ready.
Every other test I went into I had such a negative frame of mind and this is something you should not do. If you're going in saying I'm going to fail, then you might as well not bother. Go in be confident and have a positive outlook and you can pass your driving test. It isn't rocket science and the examiners aren't horrible they will pass you as long as you're safe. A tip my instructor told me was that they aren't expecting a perfect drive all they want is a safe one. This is so true, nobody is perfect but you just have to demonstrate you can safely operate a vehicle with no help and be safe.
The most important advice I would give to anybody taking multiple driving tests or even theory tests is do not give up. It may seem now that you're not getting anywhere but you will be so thankful when you're holding that pink license!
Thank you for reading,
Until next time,
Lauren.
No comments