[FunkeyMunkey]

(Original post by robo donkey)
Could be the teacher, my first teacher made me go onto a main road upto 6th gear on my first time ever driving, pretty exciting, though all of my friends seem to think it sounds insane to do that. You can always ask if you can sort of hurry things up though, sounds really frustrating, there's always nothing to stop you from changing teachers if you do feel that they aren't helping you at all, because to me that doesn't sound like particularly swift progress.

Woah that is insane lol Thanks for the advice.

[millie-rose]

(Original post by FunkeyMunkey)
Woooah £35! I think even £25 is too much. But it must have been worth it though because you did pass! And whats an intensive driving course? Sorry I'm not sure what it is.. tell me more! :P

Intensive is the same as crash course. For example; you do 4 hours driving every day for 1/2 weeks. Normally in sections of two. By the end of the two weeks as long as you've completed your theory you can then take a test instantly.

A lot of the companies that run them make sure they look for cancelled tests so that you can get yours done at the end of your intensive.

Another benefit is that even if theres not a test readily available, your ready for it. So whenever one comes you can take it, because you've done all your lessons. And if you fail, no need for another month of lessons. Just re-book, because in intensives they make sure they cover everythinggggg.

My friend had never driven before and she did a 40 hour intensive and passed. Whereas I know some who just kept failing so they did like a 10 hour intensive just to bump their skills up. There's many different courses- however they are soooo expensive sometimes!!

[jbw94]

(Original post by FunkeyMunkey)
Thanks! I probably will change driving instructor. but btw I am with a small driving school, and I pay £18 an hour which I think is an okay amount.

Yeah thats pretty good my lessons were £20 so £18's good! Also driving instructors are graded if i remember rightly so you can ask other instructors what grade they are I think 6 is the highest

[J.Star]

(Original post by robo donkey)
Could be the teacher, my first teacher made me go onto a main road upto 6th gear on my first time ever driving, pretty exciting, though all of my friends seem to think it sounds insane to do that. You can always ask if you can sort of hurry things up though, sounds really frustrating, there's always nothing to stop you from changing teachers if you do feel that they aren't helping you at all, because to me that doesn't sound like particularly swift progress.

What car were you learning to drive in that had 6 gears?

[Bellissima]

(Original post by FunkeyMunkey)
:/ haha, oh dear. I did turns in first gear for the first few weeks to practice left and right turns. Btw I live in London so the roads are busier ( i dont know if that makes a difference ). Mirror signal manouver is the steps I've been told to take before turning... I'm not going that slow anymore. Now I've been doing 2nd and 3rd gear for the past few weeks but not any higher than that

are you in a diesel?

[Bellissima]

(Original post by J.Star)
What car were you learning to drive in that had 6 gears?

minis have 6 gears... but i doubt they'd be learning in that!!

[FunkeyMunkey]

(Original post by joenye)
You can't possibly be doing worse than I am! I've had over 45 hours of lessons and I've failed my test twice already! I like to blame my instructor, who spent more time getting me to drive him to shops that teaching me how to drive. I don't think you are making bad progress at all! We all get there eventually. (I hope...)

Aw you poor thing!! Thats annoying, I wouldn't think twice about changing instructors if that happened to me. Only reason I'm unsure is cause my instructor is actually a good teacher! And yeah hopefully you'll pass next time

[FunkeyMunkey]

(Original post by millie-rose)
Intensive is the same as crash course. For example; you do 4 hours driving every day for 1/2 weeks. Normally in sections of two. By the end of the two weeks as long as you've completed your theory you can then take a test instantly.

A lot of the companies that run them make sure they look for cancelled tests so that you can get yours done at the end of your intensive.

Another benefit is that even if theres not a test readily available, your ready for it. So whenever one comes you can take it, because you've done all your lessons. And if you fail, no need for another month of lessons. Just re-book, because in intensives they make sure they cover everythinggggg.

My friend had never driven before and she did a 40 hour intensive and passed. Whereas I know some who just kept failing so they did like a 10 hour intensive just to bump their skills up. There's many different courses- however they are soooo expensive sometimes!!

Oh my god that sounds peerfect! I'll look into it Can you recommend me a company that does this (if you know any in London)

[J.Star]

(Original post by Bellissima)
minis have 6 gears... but i doubt they'd be learning in that!!

Flipping hell, seriously? I thought I knew about cars, but I didn't know that. The 1.3 Fiesta that I learn in only has 4 gears Even my mates 2 litre BMW only has 5 gears

But yeah, it probably is a Mini then, I see quite a few driving instructors that have Mini's.

[_iamnickiminaj]

I stalled in the middle of the road once, don't worry. :}

[swbp]

I've been driving for 3 months and the other day I genuinely stalled whilst moving - in comparison you're doing fine.

[Cheese_Monster]

Do you own a car/have a parent who owns a car? Best way to consolidate your lessons is to go out driving whenever you get the opportunity to do so and practice. I've no idea how many lessons i've had now, its my third month of driving and the combination means I feel ready for the practical exam, you don't have to set a certain amount of hours as a limit to expect to be able to drive, its contingent on the individual and the context.

[es.c]

I took 31 hour lessons at £19 a lesson, then another £100 to pay for the test. I was told the average is about 40hrs, but its mainly about your instructor. Oh and don't let instructors waste your money by letting them time waste, theres plenty of good instructors!

[Bellissima]

(Original post by J.Star)
Flipping hell, seriously? I thought I knew about cars, but I didn't know that. The 1.3 Fiesta that I learn in only has 4 gears Even my mates 2 litre BMW only has 5 gears

But yeah, it probably is a Mini then, I see quite a few driving instructors that have Mini's.

driving instructor with a mini?! i obviously got ripped off

i don't know if it's ALL minis but i know some do, maybe the more modern ones?

and only 4 gears!??! does that feel weird?

[Bellissima]

(Original post by FunkeyMunkey)
I'm not on quiet roads anymore, although I was for a long time. I'm on main roads now... I go up to 3rd gear, haven't gone higher than that. I pay £18 per hour how much did you pay? And haha maybe I am a rubbish driver I have no idea... thats why I asked for advice and opinions

lol i paid £24 an hour, i don't think there's much competition here so that's something that's cheaper in london!

i'm sure you're not a rubbish driver that's unlikely i would defo have a word with your instructor and if he doesn't give you an acceptable reason start looking around.

[millie-rose]

(Original post by FunkeyMunkey)
Oh my god that sounds peerfect! I'll look into it Can you recommend me a company that does this (if you know any in London)

My friend did it with this one... her instructor was lovely. you can see all the different courses on this page... http://www.driving-lessons.com/newPage.html

We live in hertfordshire, just outside london so I assume they'll most likely come to london too intensives aren't as picky as local driving instructors, they literally go wherever they're needed.

your probably somewhere near the ''gold course'' on their website?

[Rossagle]

(Original post by FunkeyMunkey)
Awhh! Feels good to know I'm not the only one! The thing is though, my instructor is nice and explains things well. I might do what you did

Well, yeah, Mine used to take time to explain things too, and I honestly thought my slow progress was because of me! (I know it might have partially)
But then I talked about what I'd done with others and everyone thought he was 'milking it'.
When I got a new instructor I realised that he really had been. But, even now I've had 40 lessons and I am heading to 50 so I mean, I don't want to suggest your instructors bad, they might not be. It's just everyone gets it at a different speed and stuff. (And I'm not the fastest :L)

[FunkeyMunkey]

(Original post by Rossagle)
Well, yeah, Mine used to take time to explain things too, and I honestly thought my slow progress was because of me! (I know it might have partially)
But then I talked about what I'd done with others and everyone thought he was 'milking it'.
When I got a new instructor I realised that he really had been. But, even now I've had 40 lessons and I am heading to 50 so I mean, I don't want to suggest your instructors bad, they might not be. It's just everyone gets it at a different speed and stuff. (And I'm not the fastest :L)

Yeah, you describe exactly how I feel about it, I guess I can't know until I get a new instructor and can compare them...thanks! And lol, don't worry I'm there with you at not being the fastest!

[robo donkey]

(Original post by J.Star)
Flipping hell, seriously? I thought I knew about cars, but I didn't know that. The 1.3 Fiesta that I learn in only has 4 gears Even my mates 2 litre BMW only has 5 gears

But yeah, it probably is a Mini then, I see quite a few driving instructors that have Mini's.

It wasn't a Mini, it was some sort of Toyota, you had to pull a separate thing up on the gear stick to put it into reverse. I changed instructor in January though because my first teacher turned out to be an incredibly letch and it made me very uncomfortable during lessons when he'd comment on every single woman he saw with comments like 'Cor I'd give her one, would you?', I was like 'uh ... maybe I guess'. >_> srsly weird

[FunkeyMunkey]

(Original post by robo donkey)
It wasn't a Mini, it was some sort of Toyota, you had to pull a separate thing up on the gear stick to put it into reverse. I changed instructor in January though because my first teacher turned out to be an incredibly letch and it made me very uncomfortable during lessons when he'd comment on every single woman he saw with comments like 'Cor I'd give her one, would you?', I was like 'uh ... maybe I guess'. >_> srsly weird

Hahaha