Nervous before driving lessons?
About 45 minutes before my driving lesson, I start getting nervous. I don't know why. Then because I get nervous I have to go to the toilet.
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
Scroll to see replies
Original post by Runninground
About 45 minutes before my driving lesson, I start getting nervous. I don't know why. Then because I get nervous I have to go to the toilet.
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
I had that too, though not quite so bad. I still get a little nervous when getting into a car, even though I'm a decent driver. I think it's nervousness about the unknown - you don't know what you're going to do, and it's a bit off-putting. But once you're in the car, you're in control and can deal with what comes up.
It gets a lot easier, I have to say. I was thankful for having a lesson directly before my test, because I was relaxed when I started it - I'd more or less done it already.
Only before my first one really due to the unfamiliar territory (a car driving seat), but after that I was fine.
Don't worry too much though really, you'll start to feel it less as you have more lessons I think
Don't worry too much though really, you'll start to feel it less as you have more lessons I think
You're not alone, before my driving lessons (though only towards the end, I was never nervous before my first 10-20 or so) I would feel absolutely sick. Same as you, I'd be fine once I got in the car, but if it was in the morning I'd never be able to eat anything and I felt physically sick. I also never understood why, and still don't today, but I passed and it's all good, so I think it's just nerves at the thought that something could go wrong.
You probably know you're a good driver, maybe you're nervous of messing up a little as you know you can do it. Then in the car there's no time to be nervous as you're concentrating so much. I wish I had some tips, but I never figured out how to get round it myself, other than distracting myself from the thought of it. Try watching some TV or doing something you enjoy to take your mind off it (but don't forget about it altogether and miss it!), and trust yourself as a driver.
You probably know you're a good driver, maybe you're nervous of messing up a little as you know you can do it. Then in the car there's no time to be nervous as you're concentrating so much. I wish I had some tips, but I never figured out how to get round it myself, other than distracting myself from the thought of it. Try watching some TV or doing something you enjoy to take your mind off it (but don't forget about it altogether and miss it!), and trust yourself as a driver.
I am like this. Especially since he told me I can book my test in a few weeks. I love it once I get started and havn't had many 'bad' lessons which is always good. The one thing I am worried about is they have extended my hours at work so I will obviously have to drive to work tomorrow and if he has to pick me up for a lesson the road outside my work is super busy and I know I will stall lol.
I get nervous at pretty much anything, and I find the best way to combat nerves before something, is to just not think about it too much. ^^;
Watch some TV, play a videogame, even read forums/websites, and generally be pre-occupied with other interesting things! When your instructor arrives in his car, you'll only have about fifteen seconds of "oh god, driving lesson" before you're sitting in the car, driving off, and realising that you're totally fine. ^.~
Watch some TV, play a videogame, even read forums/websites, and generally be pre-occupied with other interesting things! When your instructor arrives in his car, you'll only have about fifteen seconds of "oh god, driving lesson" before you're sitting in the car, driving off, and realising that you're totally fine. ^.~
Original post by StarBunny
I get nervous at pretty much anything, and I find the best way to combat nerves before something, is to just not think about it too much. ^^;
Watch some TV, play a videogame, even read forums/websites, and generally be pre-occupied with other interesting things! When your instructor arrives in his car, you'll only have about fifteen seconds of "oh god, driving lesson" before you're sitting in the car, driving off, and realising that you're totally fine. ^.~
Watch some TV, play a videogame, even read forums/websites, and generally be pre-occupied with other interesting things! When your instructor arrives in his car, you'll only have about fifteen seconds of "oh god, driving lesson" before you're sitting in the car, driving off, and realising that you're totally fine. ^.~
I can't put my shoes on in 15 seconds!! :P
Original post by Runninground
About 45 minutes before my driving lesson, I start getting nervous. I don't know why. Then because I get nervous I have to go to the toilet.
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
Haha I thought I was alone in this I have done like 20 lessons and I still get this sometimes
Worst was when I rushed to the loo quite late and my instructor turned up and had to wait woops..I got like this today! Had 30 lessons with one instructor, now changed and got all nervous again... Don't worry about it 
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
I get like this too. I'm 17, and had 14 and a half hours of lessons. (First lesson was an hour and a half)
Iv had a few bad lessons, maybe 2 or 3. But mostly they have been decent lessons, my last lesson was pretty good, he had a Citroen DS3, but he sold it and bought another brand new one because his old one was up to 40,000 miles, doesn't sound like a lot, but he only had the car a year by this point.
But yeah, my last lesson, last Friday, was my first time driving his new DS3 and my first lesson in about a month. (I hadn't been very well)
I'm usually able to take my mind off it for a few hours before the lesson, then about 40 mins before the lesson i start getting nervous, i feel sick, i need to go for a pee a lot, my stomach is churning a lot, i end up trying to do deep breathes to just relax myself, they don't work for me though, as soon as i stop i get nervous again.
I have never been a confident person though, i was bullied a lot through school and had lots of medical problems through the years, so because of that, i just tend to look on the bad side of things all the time, i go into things thinking the worst all the time, if i do well then i surprise myself and i think of it as a fluke, if i don't do well or i fail whatever it is i'm trying to do, then i think ''Yup, just what i expected'' It's so frustrating, lots of people tell me to be confident and look at the good side of things, but it isn't easy for me.
I failed my theory test the first time, 49/50 on the questions, and 40/75 on the Hazard perception, the hazard perception pass mark is 44, so i missed out on 4 points lol. That was another £31 i had to pay. The 2nd time i went into it not giving a s**t, i was cocky, i was a smart ass, i expect to fail, but thought f**k it, whatever happens..happens. And it seemed to work for me because i passed pretty easily the 2nd time.
My instructor says its fear of the unknown with me, i haven't got a test booked yet, but all i keep thinking is, if i get this nervous on lessons with someone iv spent 14 hours in a car with, how the hell am i going to cope on a test. I quite often feel like i wanna give up on driving already, just because i feel like i will never pass my test when i do take it, and i'm really scared of hearing those words at the end....I'm sorry to tell you, you have failed''
I even bought some rescue remedy spray a few days ago, i used it a few days ago, i got up very early with only afew hours sleep, and i was meeting my dad to play Snooker, after 30 mins of playing snooker i started playing really badly, i felt very grumpy, i didn't feel motivated and i was just tired, i couldn't be bothered, i used some rescue remedy, this was the first time using it, and after 5 mins i did feel different, i had a spring in my step, just in general felt quite cherpy and confident and i maintained it for the next few hours that we played.
I don't know if it was Rescue remedy or not, i haven't tried it for nerves yet though, i have a driving lesson tomorrow, Friday at 3pm, so i will try it and see if it does anything for me. I'm already dreading this lesson. But yeah, maybe you should try some rescue remedy seeing as you get so nervous too. It might help you relax a bit. I'm sorry for the long post, i got kinda carried away. Hope no one minds.
Oh and the reason i blanked out the swear words is because i'm new here and i wasn't sure if i could swear or not lol.
Have a great day everyone.
Iv had a few bad lessons, maybe 2 or 3. But mostly they have been decent lessons, my last lesson was pretty good, he had a Citroen DS3, but he sold it and bought another brand new one because his old one was up to 40,000 miles, doesn't sound like a lot, but he only had the car a year by this point.
But yeah, my last lesson, last Friday, was my first time driving his new DS3 and my first lesson in about a month. (I hadn't been very well)
I'm usually able to take my mind off it for a few hours before the lesson, then about 40 mins before the lesson i start getting nervous, i feel sick, i need to go for a pee a lot, my stomach is churning a lot, i end up trying to do deep breathes to just relax myself, they don't work for me though, as soon as i stop i get nervous again.
I have never been a confident person though, i was bullied a lot through school and had lots of medical problems through the years, so because of that, i just tend to look on the bad side of things all the time, i go into things thinking the worst all the time, if i do well then i surprise myself and i think of it as a fluke, if i don't do well or i fail whatever it is i'm trying to do, then i think ''Yup, just what i expected'' It's so frustrating, lots of people tell me to be confident and look at the good side of things, but it isn't easy for me.
I failed my theory test the first time, 49/50 on the questions, and 40/75 on the Hazard perception, the hazard perception pass mark is 44, so i missed out on 4 points lol. That was another £31 i had to pay. The 2nd time i went into it not giving a s**t, i was cocky, i was a smart ass, i expect to fail, but thought f**k it, whatever happens..happens. And it seemed to work for me because i passed pretty easily the 2nd time.
My instructor says its fear of the unknown with me, i haven't got a test booked yet, but all i keep thinking is, if i get this nervous on lessons with someone iv spent 14 hours in a car with, how the hell am i going to cope on a test. I quite often feel like i wanna give up on driving already, just because i feel like i will never pass my test when i do take it, and i'm really scared of hearing those words at the end....I'm sorry to tell you, you have failed''
I even bought some rescue remedy spray a few days ago, i used it a few days ago, i got up very early with only afew hours sleep, and i was meeting my dad to play Snooker, after 30 mins of playing snooker i started playing really badly, i felt very grumpy, i didn't feel motivated and i was just tired, i couldn't be bothered, i used some rescue remedy, this was the first time using it, and after 5 mins i did feel different, i had a spring in my step, just in general felt quite cherpy and confident and i maintained it for the next few hours that we played.
I don't know if it was Rescue remedy or not, i haven't tried it for nerves yet though, i have a driving lesson tomorrow, Friday at 3pm, so i will try it and see if it does anything for me. I'm already dreading this lesson. But yeah, maybe you should try some rescue remedy seeing as you get so nervous too. It might help you relax a bit. I'm sorry for the long post, i got kinda carried away. Hope no one minds.
Oh and the reason i blanked out the swear words is because i'm new here and i wasn't sure if i could swear or not lol.
Have a great day everyone.
I get this really badly. I've had 2 hours lessons per week for 2 years now (yeah I know, very long time) and if anything the nerves get worse every lesson. My first few lessons I just got butterflies. Then I started to feel really sick and took constant toilet trips. Then the nerves even got so bad that I would be in tears and retching before every lesson, and I started cancelling them for stupid reasons just because I couldn't face being so nervous again. My instructor called my Dad about it and he took my phone away and arranged lessons himself from then on so I had no choice.
I still get like this now...and no amount of deep breaths or trying to distract myself helps
My only tip really is to just go for it - on the day of your lesson, get your shoes on and everything ready AGES before, then find something to do and try not to look at the clock too much. If you go through the process of waiting and constantly checking the time even 45mins before then it will only give you more chance to be nervous.
I still get like this now...and no amount of deep breaths or trying to distract myself helps
My only tip really is to just go for it - on the day of your lesson, get your shoes on and everything ready AGES before, then find something to do and try not to look at the clock too much. If you go through the process of waiting and constantly checking the time even 45mins before then it will only give you more chance to be nervous.
Original post by TheQuietOne
I get this really badly. I've had 2 hours lessons per week for 2 years now (yeah I know, very long time)
That must have cost a fortune
works out at over 2000 hours!! Have you passed now and how is it coming along? Original post by Coffeegirl
That must have cost a fortune works out at over 2000 hours!! Have you passed now and how is it coming along?
works out at over 2000 hours!! Have you passed now and how is it coming along? I finally passed last month with only 3 minors
haven't driven since though 
Original post by TheQuietOne
I finally passed last month with only 3 minors haven't driven since though
haven't driven since though wow at least it finaaly paid off. I think your probably one of the best driver around because you took a lot of practise. Congrats
Just so everyone knows, I passed like a month ago so I no longer need advice for this!!!
And for anyone else experiencing this, I was still nervous on my last few lessons. You just have to live with it until you pass :P
And for anyone else experiencing this, I was still nervous on my last few lessons. You just have to live with it until you pass :P
Original post by Runninground
About 45 minutes before my driving lesson, I start getting nervous. I don't know why. Then because I get nervous I have to go to the toilet.
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
I know what you mean, i have a driving lesson in 15 mins and i have a nervous feeling, (for no reason really). But in know once im in the car ill be fine
Original post by Coffeegirl
That must have cost a fortune works out at over 2000 hours!! Have you passed now and how is it coming along?
works out at over 2000 hours!! Have you passed now and how is it coming along? You're not so good with numbers are you!
Original post by Runninground
About 45 minutes before my driving lesson, I start getting nervous. I don't know why. Then because I get nervous I have to go to the toilet.
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
Then every time I hear a car rumble outside, my tummy goes a bit funny because I think he might have turned up (30 minutes) early...
I also keep checking the clock every few minutes and I go to the toilet hundreds of times in that 45 mins.
I don't know why I get like this. My driving instructor is great and I enjoy my lessons, i'm not nervous when I am in the car.
Does any one else get like this?
It's really quite annoying!
I'm exactly the same. I have had 26 driving lessons and each time I get nervous and need toilet several times before I do my lesson. As soon as I get in the car though I'm fine because I just think that I won't be in the car long. I think sometimes I get nervous about whether the lesson will go well or not.
I know that in one of my lessons I nearly crashed the car- and in another I nearly killed a dog and the owner. There have been many times when I get nervous- but I just think that i'll get better eventually.
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