Learners Lesson Blog



One of JSF Driving School learner drivers, JH from Coleford, has agreed to give us an insight into the world of learning to drive by recording his very own blog. Keep up to date with what he learns, how he progresses and see him drive all the way to the pass mark!

Lesson 1  -  This was the first time I'd ever properly been in a car, and I expected for my free lesson I would be sat around listening to the basics of starting/stopping. This was definitely not the case, Jim went through the basic controls for a bit then to my surprise told me to drive home. This was a bit nerve-wracking but it was definitely better to get straight into driving without too much theory. Looking forward to my next lesson.

Lesson 2  -  This time we went to the Cinderford Industrial estate for more practice with starting and stopping. I was also introduced to mirror checks and steering technique. This definitely helped me gain confidence. I then got the chance to try out everything I had learnt so far by driving home from Cinderford. I made some mistakes which was to be expected, but Jim was patient and went through everything that was new to me and it was another enjoyable lesson.

Lesson 3  -  Had my third driving lesson today, it went really well. I'm really starting to gain confidence with the basics of driving and it's good get a chance to drive for the full 2 hours, you really learn alot more when you're actually doing it. Today we went ventured outside of Cinderford and I was able to get some practice with junctions, which I was initially worrying about. It's easy to see where I'm making progress though, so I know what to improve on next time. I feel alot more confident with steering and gear changes, which feel alot smoother than on my previous lessons.

Lesson 4  -  Had my lesson in the rain today but that didn't hamper the lessons as I got a chance to get some more practice with right-hand junctions. I made a few mistakes with various things, it's alot to think about at the same time. However I'm more confident with how the clutch works on junctions and the steering needed to get you around the corner. We did a loop of speech house and parkend over the course of the lesson, so I got plenty of time to practice.

Lesson 5  -  Having not driven for a couple of weeks I was initially rusty with some of the manoeuvres but I soon picked up what I had learnt previously and got some more practice with junctions. Jim made it easy to tell what mistakes I was making so I was able to learn from them, so although I hadn't driven in a while I still felt like I was making progress. Got some good practise with clutch control when we got stuck in a slow-moving traffic queue.

Lesson 6 - Today we moved on from junctions and on to meeting traffic. This lesson was a different experience as we drove around the Coleford area which meant more traffic and more junctions. This was also really good practice for everything I had learnt previously, junctions seem alot easier when they aren't the main focus of the lesson.

Lesson 7 - Todays lesson was hampered by fog so I only had an hours worth of practice, although it was definately a valuable experience; it helped me realise the importance of paying attention to the road at all times, so definately a worthwhile lesson.

Lesson 8  -  I had a really good lesson today despite the snow. We continued with meeting traffic but Jim threw in some junctions so I could effectively recap on everything I'd learnt previously. By the end of the lesson I could tell where I was making alot of progress, I finished the lesson with alot more ticks on my progress card, and alot more confidence in my driving.


Lesson 9  -  Todays lesson gave me more practice with meeting traffic but also with adapting to road conditions; the road was very icy in places and it definitely helped me realise how easy it is to skid if you aren't careful enough. We drove around Coleford, Newhnam and Lydney and as the lesson didn't finish until 5:15pm I got some good experience with driving in the dark too.

Lesson 10  -  Haven't had a lesson in a while due to the snowy weather but I found it quite easy to get back into driving again, seemed more natural than in my first few lessons.  We looked at roundabouts. Although they can be daunting at first (especially with heavy traffic) they are really quite easy, it's just a case of remembering early preparation, mirrors and signals, and of course keeping an eye on the traffic (not always easy when they don't indicate!)

Lesson 11  -  Today we moved on to crossings and traffic lights, this wasn't too demanding until we met heavier traffic in the center of Chepstow, but overall the lesson went really well and although I'm still making a couple of small mistakes I feel much more confident in my own driving ability and with the car. In a couple of weeks time I'll be going up to Gloucester to get practice with more roundabouts and driving in heavier traffic.

Lesson 12 - We moved onto emergency stops and uphill and downhill starts in this lesson. It was great to move onto these new skills as it helped me realise all the progress I was making. I did quite well with them and will be confident doing them in the practical test (if needed). As the lesson was from 4-6pm I also got more night driving practice to help widen my driving experience.

Lesson 13 - Today I fought through the rush hour traffic in and around Monmouth to get a feel for the place as it's where I'll be taking my practical. We also drove up towards Ross on the dual carriageway which was great (it's always good to have an excuse to accelerate as fast as possible). Monmouth was quite difficult due to the amount of traffic and the relatively narrow streets but it was definitely worth it due to the experience I got from driving in heavy traffic.

0800 3777 138

Hannah Markey

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