The Student Room Group

Struggling at learning to drive? (After like a year)

Im learning to drive and have been for about a year (since April 2012) and I have taken around 50 lessons. The problem is, I'm just not getting the hang of it. I'm making mistakes that I should of stopped making after like 5 lessons. Like, as an example, stalling nearly everytime I have to set off while uphill, etc. Like yesterday, I had a lesson and stalled twice, and both times I caused hold-ups. One time I was at traffic lights which were at red, and they went to green, but when going to set off I stalled. I took so long getting the car back ready to set off again that the lights went back to red (and even then my instructor had to get the car ready for me), which obviously caused a big hold up in traffic. And also, its not just clucth control that is the problem. its other stuff aswell (such as parking, etc) I'm starting to worry that I'm one of these people that just cant drive. Somebody who has taken around 50 lessons and been driving for a year shouldnt be holding up traffic twice for aslong as I did yesterday. I saw a video on Facebook today of somebody taking 14 minutes to do a parellel park between two cars, and all the comments were like 'how did they get their license', 'they shouldnt drive' etc etc, and I thought to myself 'I wouldnt even be able to do a parallel park between two cars at all.' Should stop learning or keep trying?

Also, changing to an automatic (I'm currently driving a manual) is not an option. Everybody I know (family, friends, neighbours, etc) all drive manuals and i'd feel weird been the only one driving an automatic.

Also, I'm starting to worry about cost which is why I am considering stopping. Because at this moment I've already done around 50 lessons and feel nowhere near ready to pass. The way I feel I could do 200 and still wouldnt feel ready, and I just cant afford that.
(edited 10 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Original post by SamL94
Im learning to drive and have been for about a year (since April 2012) and I have taken like 50 lessons. The problem is, I'm just not getting the hang of it. I'm making mistakes that I should of stopped making after like 5 lessons. Like, as an example, stalling nearly everytime I have to set off while uphill, etc. Like yesterday, I had a lesson and stalled twice, and both times I caused hold-ups. One time I was at traffic lights which were at red, and they went to green, but when going to set off I stalled. I took so long getting the car back ready to set off again that the lights went back to red (and even then my instructor had to get the car ready for me), which obviously caused a big hold up in traffic. And also, its not just clucth control that is the problem. its other stuff aswell (such as parking, etc) I'm starting to worry that I'm one of these people that just cant drive. Somebody who has taken around 50 lessons and been driving for a year shouldnt be holding up traffic twice for aslong as I did yesterday. Like, I saw a video on Facebook today of somebody taking 14 minutes to do a parellel park between two cars, and all the comments were like 'how did they get their license', 'they shouldnt drive' etc etc, and I thought to myself 'I wouldnt even be able to do a parallel park between two cars at all.' Should stop learning or keep trying?

Also, changing to an automatic (I'm currently driving a manual) is not an option. Everybody I know (family, friends, neighbours, etc) all drive manuals and i'd feel weird been the only one driving an automatic.

Also, I'm starting to worry about cost which is why I am considering stopping. Because at this moment I've already done like 50 lessons and feel nowhere near ready to pass. The way I feel I could do 200 and still wouldnt feel ready, and I just cant afford that.



It would be a bigger waste of money if you didn't get any license. Maybe you need more than one lesson a week to get some continuity. Failing that, a new instructor.
Reply 2
Original post by FXX
It would be a bigger waste of money if you didn't get any license. Maybe you need more than one lesson a week to get some continuity. Failing that, a new instructor.

The problem is, most other peeople I know are just doing the standard one lesson a week and they are learning fine, so why can't I learn while having a lesson once a week?

I didnt realise how many times i said like lmao. ill go change it.
Original post by SamL94
The problem is, most other peeople I know are just doing the standard one lesson a week and they are learning fine, so why can't I learn while having a lesson once a week?

I didnt realise how many times i said like lmao. ill go change it.


Hi im learning to drive to! im kind of in the same boat as you!
ive done around 27 lessons and im no where near passing!
i recommend changing instructor and see if that makes a difference.
I think you should really consider an automatic. There's no shame in it!! Who cares that you're the only one?
Reply 5
Original post by translation
I think you should really consider an automatic. There's no shame in it!! Who cares that you're the only one?
idk i just do care for some reason. i would just feel like everybody can drive manuals and i cant. i dont know the exact figures but from people i know idk it seems as if over 95% of people drive manual, and i dont want to be in the couple of % that dont/cant.
Reply 6
Original post by SamL94
Im learning to drive and have been for about a year (since April 2012) and I have taken around 50 lessons. The problem is, I'm just not getting the hang of it. I'm making mistakes that I should of stopped making after like 5 lessons. Like, as an example, stalling nearly everytime I have to set off while uphill, etc. Like yesterday, I had a lesson and stalled twice, and both times I caused hold-ups. One time I was at traffic lights which were at red, and they went to green, but when going to set off I stalled. I took so long getting the car back ready to set off again that the lights went back to red (and even then my instructor had to get the car ready for me), which obviously caused a big hold up in traffic. And also, its not just clucth control that is the problem. its other stuff aswell (such as parking, etc) I'm starting to worry that I'm one of these people that just cant drive. Somebody who has taken around 50 lessons and been driving for a year shouldnt be holding up traffic twice for aslong as I did yesterday. I saw a video on Facebook today of somebody taking 14 minutes to do a parellel park between two cars, and all the comments were like 'how did they get their license', 'they shouldnt drive' etc etc, and I thought to myself 'I wouldnt even be able to do a parallel park between two cars at all.' Should stop learning or keep trying?

Also, changing to an automatic (I'm currently driving a manual) is not an option. Everybody I know (family, friends, neighbours, etc) all drive manuals and i'd feel weird been the only one driving an automatic.

Also, I'm starting to worry about cost which is why I am considering stopping. Because at this moment I've already done around 50 lessons and feel nowhere near ready to pass. The way I feel I could do 200 and still wouldnt feel ready, and I just cant afford that.




Clutch control problem- Wear shoes that you can feel the clutch in.
Reply 7
Original post by advice_guru
Clutch control problem- Wear shoes that you can feel the clutch in.
what do you mean by feel the clutch?

also, unfortunately for me, the clutch is not my only problem :frown:
I wouldn't rule out changing to an automatic just yet, my step-dad and mum both passed their tests between 10-15 years ago and have drove various manual cars, my step-dad now drives a automatic and my mums looking for an automatic, I've herd of a lot of people who switched to automatic in hope it'd help them and I've herd a lot of positive stories, you could see how it goes in an automatic? You'll probably know quite a bit about driving and cars, putting it into practice in a automatic might help you out, you could even then try again at a manual.
Reply 9
Original post by SamL94
what do you mean by feel the clutch?

also, unfortunately for me, the clutch is not my only problem :frown:


You should have absolute control over the clutch, that means you can feel the pedal moving. You should be able to move the clutch tiny amounts at slow speeds as well.

Remember if you are stalling, your moving the clutch up too fast (or not enough gas).
Reply 10
Original post by NatashaLee
I wouldn't rule out changing to an automatic just yet, my step-dad and mum both passed their tests between 10-15 years ago and have drove various manual cars, my step-dad now drives a automatic and my mums looking for an automatic, I've herd of a lot of people who switched to automatic in hope it'd help them and I've herd a lot of positive stories, you could see how it goes in an automatic? You'll probably know quite a bit about driving and cars, putting it into practice in a automatic might help you out, you could even then try again at a manual.

idk like i say where i come from i dont know anybody, not even one person, who drives an automatic, and if i did, i would feel like im the only person that cant drive a manual. id feel inferior to every other driver who can drive a manual. idk i just would.
Original post by SamL94
what do you mean by feel the clutch?

also, unfortunately for me, the clutch is not my only problem :frown:


It took me about a year to pass lol, but in that time I changed instructors the new one I had was far better at teaching, I think you should change and see how you feel. Driving becomes easy after practice some people just take a while for it to click, I used to hate driving but I don't mind it at all now and it is easy, clutch control was deffinitely the hardest thing for me, change your shoes I wore converse whilst driving because they're quite light and I could feel the clutch easier.
Reply 12
hi it took me over a year to pass , after just over a year I had 1 month break from driving (practicing in a car) got a new instructor and had passed within 2 months, don't give up you will get there :smile:don't feel the need to go to an automatic , my ex-instructor said to change to an automatic I didn't and I now have passed
Reply 13
A few people are saying to change instructor, but the problem is, my instructor has been to do advanced tests to get like an advance instructor award (or something like that) so if i cant pass with him then what chance do i have really?

And some people are saying to switch to automatic, but that just isnt an opinion for me. believe me it will just play on my mind knowing that everybody else can drive manuals and i cant.

tbh i might just give in and pack it in. i obviously cant do it and find it too hard if im still struggling as much as i am after over a year, and 50 lessons. maybe driving just isnt for me :frown:
Original post by SamL94
idk like i say where i come from i dont know anybody, not even one person, who drives an automatic, and if i did, i would feel like im the only person that cant drive a manual. id feel inferior to every other driver who can drive a manual. idk i just would.


I get what you're saying, but nobody would even have to know unless you told them i mean certainly don't look at other cars and try tell if they're an automatic or manual haha, but wouldn't it be worth a try? even just 1 lesson

I mean if not then I'd carry on, how does your instructor approach situations where not everything goes to plan? with me if i made a mistake, then we'd usually go back round and do it again, and just carry on a few times till it got better, i swear one time he had me driving the same lap round the industrial estate (working on left and right turns) about 100 times but it helped me improve things, you could try talking to your instructor and tell them your concerns, see if theres anything different they can do to help you out, im sure you can get there, stay positive too, theres been lessons where things just kept going wrong where i just couldn't wait till i was driving up my street and the lesson was over, but im sure it'll all come to you soon :smile:
Reply 15
I didn't leave my first instructor because he wasn't good - its because I needed a fresh start etc - it took me a lot more and I got there honestly don't give up now
Original post by SamL94
A few people are saying to change instructor, but the problem is, my instructor has been to do advanced tests to get like an advance instructor award (or something like that) so if i cant pass with him then what chance do i have really?

And some people are saying to switch to automatic, but that just isnt an opinion for me. believe me it will just play on my mind knowing that everybody else can drive manuals and i cant.

tbh i might just give in and pack it in. i obviously cant do it and find it too hard if im still struggling as much as i am after over a year, and 50 lessons. maybe driving just isnt for me :frown:


Is the advanced instructor thing a mark of an instructor who's undertaken additional training to improve his teaching ability, or one who's done training so he can teach Pass Plus?

What's wrong with not being able to drive manual? The vast majority of American drivers own automatics. Not being able to drive manual doesn't make you a bad driver -- be courteous, safe and considerate and I have no doubt you'll be considered a better driver than most.

I was learning for... I dunno, eight months? It seemed like an eternity, so much so I stopped halfway. I went back to it because after buying so many blocks (four? something like that) I couldn't justify quitting. You've spent probably in excess of £1000 learning to drive, it's a solid investment in your future, can you afford to let that kind of money to go to waste?

Everybody is different. I was hindered a lot by being terrified of going on the road, so I took three or four times as long as my brother (who passed... definitely before his second block was up) who has confidence to the point of arrogance. Then again, by the time I passed I felt reasonably comfortable driving, while he couldn't maintain a conversation and had to purely focus on the road.

I'm not even going to say how many times I had to sit my driving test. Think of a number and then double it. Each time I was completely torn up, convinced I was a failure and stuff, but then I went back to it and eventually passed :smile: .
Reply 17
tbh i just dont enjoy lessons. i wake up and if i have a lesson in the morning at like 10 or something im just like 'ffs i really dont want to' because i know it will just be another hour of me stalling, and scraping the curb, and failing at maneovurs, and just generally making an idiot out of myself. it would be understandable to feel like that after 5 lessons, maybe even 10, but not ****ing FIFTY. sorry for swearing but it just drives me crazy. i dont understand what im supposed to do. i could start saying its the car, and changing car. i could start saying its the instructor, and change instructor. but the reality is, its ME. its my fault. its not because of the car or instructor. its because of ME. been **** and incappable of doing something as common and simple as driving.
Reply 18
I agree with those that have said you might need more than 1 hour a week, I had about 60 hours over 6 months :smile:

Also how do you get on with your instructor? my sister went through three, and it was a very, very slow process until she found one she clicked with, and it was all uphill from there!

You *will* get there, driving is scary and difficult but it will just all click one day :smile:
Original post by SamL94
A few people are saying to change instructor, but the problem is, my instructor has been to do advanced tests to get like an advance instructor award (or something like that) so if i cant pass with him then what chance do i have really?

And some people are saying to switch to automatic, but that just isnt an opinion for me. believe me it will just play on my mind knowing that everybody else can drive manuals and i cant.

tbh i might just give in and pack it in. i obviously cant do it and find it too hard if im still struggling as much as i am after over a year, and 50 lessons. maybe driving just isnt for me :frown:


Even if an instructor is good and has awards coming out of every orifuce they might not be tge best fit for you.

Automatic vs manual - wait until you have tried another instructor vefore dismissing the option to change
Posted from TSR Mobile

Quick Reply

Latest