Fifth time lucky?

The Young Wan

My next test will be my fifth, and I feel like that number is stuck in the back of my head. It's shattered my confidence.

I've lived away for a year and I feel like the first time I sit into a car when I come home I will freeze. I'll be living away from home too, so I don't feel I can even get practicing and get to a standard where I will be able to pass next time. I put a shout out in the instructors thread for my new home area, no one gave me any names. I feel like I'm never going to pass the test.

Does anyone have any advice?

cantdecide

You don't really state the context of the next test- have you had many years of driving? Did you take a cluster of tests in a comparatively short space of time? Have you owned and run a car? Have you come close to passing before? Have you felt you've suffered excessively with nerves on the day? Are you nervous about driving in general? Do you have access to a car to practice in?

In any case, everything depends on your approach and your attitude. Primarily, it depends on not giving in to the negative 'no one has the disadvantages I have' monologue. You must simply treat it as a challenge and learning experience and in a practical sense, you need to identify and develop on your weak areas with tailored exercises and practice and not give into the temptation to fall into a comfort zone of things that are going well.

The Young Wan

cantdecide wrote: »

You don't really state the context of the next test- have you had many years of driving? Did you take a cluster of tests in a comparatively short space of time? Have you owned and run a car? Have you come close to passing before? Have you felt you've suffered excessively with nerves on the day? Are you nervous about driving in general? Do you have access to a car to practice in?

In any case, everything depends on your approach and your attitude. Primarily, it depends on not giving in to the negative 'no one has the disadvantages I have' monologue. You must simply treat it as a challenge and learning experience and in a practical sense, you need to identify and develop on your weak areas with tailored exercises and practice and not give into the temptation to fall into a comfort zone of things that are going well.

I've had my provisional for four years. My third test, if it weren't for a G3 right at the start (a car pulled out, I pulled out, I got the G3 and the test was over before we even started) I'd have passed. My last test, I had six G2s and one G3 – didn't stop long enough at a stop sign.

Nerves definitely get the best of me, because my whole life my parents have put a lot of pressure on me to perform and be the best and I feel if I fail again, I'll have let them down.

Named on my Mam's car, but she's in Waterford and I'm in Dublin.

cantdecide

Lots of people have failed as much and more and it's just a number. From what you say, you've had bad luck with jitters. Definitely nothing there very exceptional. You've got some experience behind you now as well as a break and there's every chance that this time could be the charm.

I know it's easier said than done but you must try and focus on getting through this for you and no one else. The worst case scenario is that you have to repeat and it's not life and death- you must only pass just once and that's you sorted for life. Imagine the benefits and visualise yourself getting to that place- this is a story with a start, middle and end, even if you don't know when exactly that end will be at this point.

MAKE TIME to practice and focus on your weak areas. If you have to organise to spend a weekend at home specifically to reconnect with driving, you should do it- there's no substitute for hours in the drivers seat. Throw yourself into the process- flirting with the process and staying on the outside will only delay things; you need to get your car geek on. Make a rough plan with an instructor you like and just keep hitting the milestones.