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I feel so incompetent at my driving lessons

Right I've had 3 driving lessons, and I just feel like I'm never going to make progress. He has already brought me onto doing left and right corners and I know what he wants me to do I just can't do it. Maybe he's just expecting too much of me at this stage or am I just slow to learn? I also find it hard to co-ordinate properly between the pedals at this stage and I do stupid things like indicating the wrong way when he says one way and I forgot where the 2nd gear was, He must think I'm such an idiot. He doesn't understand why I can't do it, he can't see that I'm just not listening I just require so much concentration on not shaking too much to control the car to properly listen. Also his lingo confuses me etc. My steering is picking up just at the moment I seem like I'm in over my head. Did anyone feel the same? Any suggestions:frown:? Much appreciated

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Everyone goes through that phase. It took me at least perhaps 15 lessons to become even vaguely confident at general driving without stalling all the time or panicking in all sorts of situations when my coordination was worse. It's just a necessary phase of learning that we all go through.

Your instructor, I am pretty certain will not be getting frustrated. It's part of his job and I'd be fairly sure if I was you that he sees it all the time. It's his job to help you improve and to be honest the mistakes you say you made are all fairly common ones that everyone makes especially while learning a new skill.

There's just a magic sort of moment when hopefully it will all start to click (for me around about 12-15 lessons) and you'll feel it when it happens (likewise when you feel ready for the test). But even then we all have blips. It sounds like you're still doing basic stuff which I remember I was all over the place when I did it, so I'd just relax and enjoy it.
Reply 2
If you have another car you can go out in with another qualified driver and get practice it will be fine.

You have to remember, the actual control of a car is fairly simple once you get the hang of it. You just have to keep yourself concentrated on the different situations you can come across on the road.
I progressed quite slowly also - it took me ages to learn to drive! Don't worry about it.

Square
If you have another car you can go out in with another qualified driver and get practice it will be fine.

Possibly not the best idea IMO as if the OP has problems co-ordinating the controls it sounds dual controls are a very good safety feature to have. Also remember that any car but her instructor's will drive rather differently so she might get used to that then, on switching back to her instructor's car, be completely confused again.
Reply 4
Dont worry, you'll soon improve. Every one learns at different rates, so theres nothing wrong with you.

If you dont understand what your instructor is saying or what he wants you to do then you need to tell him, otherwise it might affect your learning.
Reply 5
Yeah I told him , sometimes just feels like he was attacking me and kinda suggesitng I was doing it on purpose?I really was trying my hardest! I told him that I can't co-ordinate and that what he said confused me and he said that i will get used to it. just thinking ill never get it:frown:. Well I'm glad I'm having morning lessons with him from now on, the time of day probably affected his patience as well?(it was 5.45 and he'd had like 5 lessons adn a test or smething that day
Reply 6
You do not need to worry at all, trust me :biggrin: I think it would be very strange if you were finding it easy after only three lessons - it took me ages to get the hang of driving! Like other people have said there is a point where it just "clicks" although I doubt that this happens at the same time for everyone, so don't worry if it doesn't happen as soon as you expect. I remember feeling exactly the same as you do and now driving is almost second nature to me! :smile:
Reply 7
good >.< cus i was gettign pretty upset cus Im NOT getting it:frown: hum and I cant brake fast/slow enough :frown: i guess itll come in time...thanks though I feel a llot better compared to my nervous breakdown when i posted that :P
Reply 8
Practice makes perfect, lol, it will come in time just give it a few more lessons. Ive had 15 lessons so far i think, and i sometime break to harsh, still have a couple off days, i had a job interiview after my lesson the other day, i was soo nervous during the lessons my 3 point turn, became a 5 point turn! it was so embarrising. And dont worry, i sometimes have to look at my gears becasue i forget what gear im in, and i always check whenever i go into gear 5. A tip if you breaking to fast, break slowly, clutch in, EASE OFF the break a bit, and then slowly ease back onto the break, that way it wont like jerk forward bcoz you braked to hard if you get me. Im quite confident driving on a dual carriage way, but a couple weeks ago i was doin 50mph, and everytime i checked my mirrors, i was slowly turning and drifting into the lane next to me and had to keep correcting myself, but im doing it less now. The more time you spend on the road, the better you will get.
Reply 9
thanks :smile: just all the pedals confuse me >.< i hope i dotn end up having to learn in an automatic:frown:*sigh*
Reply 10
Lilian
thanks :smile: just all the pedals confuse me >.< i hope i dotn end up having to learn in an automatic:frown:*sigh*

NOOO!!! you WILL NOT turn to auto!!! :smile:
Reply 11
I've been learning for 10 months, and certainly felt the same.

Infact my instructor asked me after 5 lessons whether my parents were forcing me to do it, as I was so incompetant and scared. I still feel inadequate, I was only one of 2 out of my instructor's last 24 people to fail their first test.

It is overwhelming to start off with, but you will get used to it. It does suddenly click, but it takes longer with some people than others.

Maybe I'm just rubbish :frown:, but PM me if you like :smile:
My cousin is approaching 70 driving lessons and he's only just put in for his test! It's taken him ages to get the hang of it, he's not a confident person at all really so thats his problem, with all the money he's spent on so many lessons he could of had a car by now!
Reply 13
Yes, confidence is key, and it's so easy to lose it with driving.
Reply 14
YEAH:frown: and i lack confidence in the most normal situations anyway so score, here i come 70 lessons :'(
Awww don't worry, like others have said it'll just 'click' eventually. You can't really tell much at all from just having 3 lessons so far, i'm usually a very confident person and it took me about 35-40 lessons so you've still got ages to go!
same here ive taken longer than a few people who started learning at the same time as me and i think it was mainly down to lack of confidence but as said before things seem to just click at one point and now i can say i feel confident in driving and have got my test booked so fingers crossed
Reply 17
Well, I've definitely had over 40 lessons. I gave up counting - too demoralising.
Reply 18
Lilian
YEAH:frown: and i lack confidence in the most normal situations anyway so score, here i come 70 lessons :'(

if your not confident enough on the road, you could try a driving simulator thing, BSM do it, ive never tried it but i spose if you had a couple lessons in that maybe, might boost your confidence, just an idea.
Reply 19
I never knew anything about that ^