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Driving Instructors.
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
K, I'm going to start learning to drive soon. Argh scary argh and I warn everybody to keep out of the Braintree area for the next few months.
Anyway, which instructors are good? I preferably want one that offers like intensive courses so I can be ready-ish for my test before I go to uni again. I'm aware that that won't give me a good indication of different weather types and blahblah but tbh for the first couple of years all I'll be using it for is driving to work (3 minutes up a bypass, if that) in shitty weather and the occasional road trip when it's nicer again.
I don't really mind about price, as long as it's not over extortionate, because I am currently getting about £250 a week from work/a bit from my dad. I don't pay rent and I've given up smoking so all I really spend my money on is make-up and train tickets.
Also, I wanna save up about £2kish for a decentish car by Christmas holidays (am getting a job this year while I'm at uni). Which is a good first car? I really want one of the older-style Corsas but I don't know much about cars so if anyone can tell me a really good one that would be LOVELY.
ETA: how long do intensive courses usually last for? I have been looking around and the minimum price I can currently find is £27ph which is fine...ish...as long as it's not for the whole time until I go to uni because I need to buy some new things for uni and I may not have enough for that
Anyway, which instructors are good? I preferably want one that offers like intensive courses so I can be ready-ish for my test before I go to uni again. I'm aware that that won't give me a good indication of different weather types and blahblah but tbh for the first couple of years all I'll be using it for is driving to work (3 minutes up a bypass, if that) in shitty weather and the occasional road trip when it's nicer again.
I don't really mind about price, as long as it's not over extortionate, because I am currently getting about £250 a week from work/a bit from my dad. I don't pay rent and I've given up smoking so all I really spend my money on is make-up and train tickets.
Also, I wanna save up about £2kish for a decentish car by Christmas holidays (am getting a job this year while I'm at uni). Which is a good first car? I really want one of the older-style Corsas but I don't know much about cars so if anyone can tell me a really good one that would be LOVELY.
ETA: how long do intensive courses usually last for? I have been looking around and the minimum price I can currently find is £27ph which is fine...ish...as long as it's not for the whole time until I go to uni because I need to buy some new things for uni and I may not have enough for that
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Comments
Do you have any driving experience at all, or are you starting completely from scratch?
Maybe you could have a few lessons a week for about a month and then if you do well put in for a week-long course with the test at the end towards the end of the summer, allowing time to get in a retest or two if you don't pass first time (speaking as someone who only passed fourth time in Feb after starting lessons in August!)
i think for most people it does take longer than they initially think to pass.
Two hours at a time is a long time when you first start. I very rarely had two hour lessons because it would just get too much - when you're concentrating really hard and the only times you stop are to reverse around a corner which again means you are trying really hard at something so it's no rest really. Your bum will go numb too!
I'd suggest a few one hour lessons to get you into it - you might find it tires you out after the first few at least. You'll be buzzing with excitement after finally getting on the road but then the relief of not having to concentrate anymore (once you turn off the engine!) will hit you. Don't get me wrong - it's ace in the end!
Could your Mum take you out in her car, or Rich if he's old enough (needs to be over 21 and to have passed his test over three years ago before you go out together)? Just on very quiet straight country roads where very little is going to surprise you and cause you to panic and hit the brake (I had a nasty experience with a lorry on a usually quiet road!). It'll get you used to stopping and starting and changing gear.
Ah, I didn't know that.. My instructor was a woman on her own from the next village
Research. You may find that 2 hours is fine or it could be too much. Everyone is different.
Rich doesn't have a car because he lives in the city, although he can drive. My mum did suggest getting on the insurance on my sister's Micra but I can't afford that + driving lessons + saving for a car + stuff for uni + everything else. My mum has a Vectra estate and my stepdad has some other fuck off big Vauxhall so the chance of me learning in their cars is slim .
Maybe I will do 3 1-hour lessons a week then to start then see how that goes. Depends who I go with. I was thinking BSM because they do an intensive course as well so it would be easy to switch when I wanted to.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/LearnerAndNewDrivers/TheoryTest/index.htm
I'd check that actually, because a lot of insurers won't let you do that until you've held your licence for a certain amount of time and are over a certain age. Either that or they charge you a huge whack for doing it. Additionally, it's only third party most of the time too.
BSM are good, i am with them, but they are hit or miss, some instructors can be brilliant like mine, some can be crap. and since there so large it is hard to tell.
Aye. It's also specifically cars that you don't own, so I'm not sure how that would work with a family.
Anyways the best way to get an instructer is by recomendation by friends etc. Make sure you feel comfortable with them, theyre giving you support and not making you nervous etc.
It is better to learn in an other car at the same time extra to your lessons but if you cant you cant.
Deff get the theory sorted ASAP too.
As to corsas go for it! I've got one too
Learning to drive is a massive thing. Theres is litterally LOADS you need to be able top do to make a good driver so how can you do that in one week?
Also usrely after a couple of hours you become overloaded and end up just messing everything up?
Yeah I hadnt thought of people using them just to get them through a test.
Yeah I agree. I think it's better to be patient and to become certain you are fine in the roads. Franki you don't wanna crash into a tree Safety is priority! Plus you dont really need a car in Canterz.. We got the uni bus! and two train stations!
Learn nearer to Christmas then. It's pointless learning and then not driving for months, you will forget half of what you learn (more so if you do an intensive course).
*shrug*
The point of this post being if you get an instructor who you just don't hit it off with, I'd change sooner rather than later.
When one of my friends took her first test the examiner kept stroking her legs :yuck:
:shocking: