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Where were you after your second lesson?

I have had 3 and half hours of driving lessons so far.

First lesson was 2 hours, we went to a quiet road. She told me the basics of how a car works, we went up and down the road and I had gone to 3rd gear by the end of it.

The second lesson was 1.5 hours. We went to the same road, re-capped what we did the first lesson, and started driving round in a circle, this time doing left turns into the other road and then driving round into that road again.

I feel like I am really slow in learning, and my instructor has to tell me when to change gears, when to indicate, when to break, etc etc. Other people say they were on busy roads with cars by their second lesson. Am I progressing really slow? It's £21 an hour and not cheap!
I did left turns and driving around the block on my first lesson, by the third I was doing mini roundabouts and busier roads; however, I was about five lessons in by the time I started using main roads and braking and changing gears without my instructor first prompting me.
Reply 2
Avatar for MJ1012
MJ1012
18
wrapped round a tree.
That does seem quite slow but I wouldn't worry. My instructor told me that it's normal to be told what to do for the first 10 hours or so (though he stopped earlier with me).
It's not that slow, more or less matches my experience and that of my friends. My instructor told me when to change gears and break etc for quite a few of my first lessons. It's natural, you're still getting used to handling a car, you can't be expected to remember when to change gears straight away!

When I was approaching busy roundabouts for the first few times I'd have been so much more stressed if my instructor said nothing.
Original post by *Dreaming*
I have had 3 and half hours of driving lessons so far.

First lesson was 2 hours, we went to a quiet road. She told me the basics of how a car works, we went up and down the road and I had gone to 3rd gear by the end of it.

The second lesson was 1.5 hours. We went to the same road, re-capped what we did the first lesson, and started driving round in a circle, this time doing left turns into the other road and then driving round into that road again.

I feel like I am really slow in learning, and my instructor has to tell me when to change gears, when to indicate, when to break, etc etc. Other people say they were on busy roads with cars by their second lesson. Am I progressing really slow? It's £21 an hour and not cheap!


Doesn't really seem out of the ordinary to me, I was similar. It's better to build up confidence and know the car before heading out on to the busier roads, where your attention is fixed onto what other drivers are doing rather than how you're driving. Your instructor just wants to get you into a habit of changing gear when the car is at a certain speed, leaving plenty of room for breaking, early indicating to let other cars know what you're doing etc.

People learn at different rates, but I wouldn't say you're learning at a very slow pace or even just slow for that matter. I think a lot of people exaggerate what they do in their driving lessons, they want to be seen as a quick learner and competent driver so will often say things like that. I had a mate at school like that and once we saw him set off on a lesson, stalled it, and was very jerky when setting off (he'd done a few lessons by this points as well). But yeah, sounds fine to me.
Reply 6
Avatar for Envee
Envee
10
Original post by *Dreaming*
I have had 3 and half hours of driving lessons so far.

First lesson was 2 hours, we went to a quiet road. She told me the basics of how a car works, we went up and down the road and I had gone to 3rd gear by the end of it.

The second lesson was 1.5 hours. We went to the same road, re-capped what we did the first lesson, and started driving round in a circle, this time doing left turns into the other road and then driving round into that road again.

I feel like I am really slow in learning, and my instructor has to tell me when to change gears, when to indicate, when to break, etc etc. Other people say they were on busy roads with cars by their second lesson. Am I progressing really slow? It's £21 an hour and not cheap!


Sounds a lot like my first lesson, is this with AA by any chance?

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