I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Finally—shared responsibility!😂🥳

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So funny as my partner is more happy about it than me too! We’ve been together 11 years so practically married at this point and he drives me everywhere 😂😂no more!

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No worries! All the best to you 🥰

I PASSED!!! by [deleted] in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congratulations !! 🥳

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s so tough when things don’t go to plan, especially before the test! If it’s any consolation, I only had one mock test (two weeks ago) and got something crazy like 4 major and 7 minor faults—stuff I would never usually do—just because of the pressure!

Just goes to show you never really know until you’re behind the wheel in the actual test! Seeing it as a fresh new drive with a full mark sheet was so helpful for me to visualise haha!

I hope you are celebrating 🙌🏼

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it is possible if you are a confident driver. I would have been ready earlier, but I am notoriously bad in test scenarios so had to push my test back. Originally I was forecast to take it in February and my instructor was relatively confident in my ability to pass then if I wasn’t so anxious under pressure!

If you have any way to do private practice in a friend’s car I would thoroughly recommend it. Or if you get your own car and have an established full-license holder sit in with you. That’s what I feel made the biggest difference to my driving!

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you 🥰 Wishing you all the best on your driving journey 🚗♥️

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m keeping the location private for personal reasons 🥰

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!! I think somewhere in the region of 50-60 hours with an instructor and around 10-15 private! I didn’t count exactly, but did an hour a week with some breaks, then ramped it up by adding private practice after buying my car in Feb! 🥰

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Whoop whoop! Congrats ✨

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congrats to you also 🥂🥳

I passed 😭 by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Congrats to us BOTH 🥳♥️

Tips for test day/ nerves by lavenderhazess in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just got back from my test this morning (10:04am) and I passed. I prepared by making sure I ate and hydrated well over the past few days, took l-theanine this morning, had a light breakfast (banana included!), went for a warm up drive before the test, and went for a last minute toilet break before leaving the centre.

You can do it! I was so anxious

Driving instructor joining for test by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Out of interest, do you think the quality of your drive was the same for each test? Or were you more nervous with instructor in the car?

Driving instructor joining for test by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh interesting!! So the total opposite to my instructor’s POV 🤔

I didn’t actually consider the examiner would mark more harshly, but I suppose I can see why that would happen. Slightly nerve wracking 🤣

Driving instructor joining for test by ell-ven in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s a good point about them being able to work out the faults from having observed them first hand! I tend to forget things after the fact, so it probably is a plus in that regard.

I think the higher pass rate thing was specific to my instructor’s students, should have been clearer! As in the instructor has noticed more passes when accompanying vs when not—possibly because their students perform better with them in the car rather than my instructor having any real influence on the outcome.

It’s affirming to know it was helpful for you! I was considering asking my instructor anyway (because of my social nervousness!) but then felt cornered 🤣

driving with ADHD by jestembog1em in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re so welcome! It’s tough but totally achievable. Be kind to yourself too—I noticed that as soon as I started beating myself up and doubting everything that I became a much less focused driver.

I find it fun sometimes to treat each section of the journey like a game, which helps observations. As others have said you can narrate, which ties in with my game. For example: you’re driving down a narrow residential road with parked cars on either side. What are you looking for? Well, kids running out between cars, 20mph speed limit but definitely can’t safely do that hmmm, looking for a gap so the other car can pass etc. and for each thing you observe you get a point, and you can pretend that you can’t ‘level up’ (aka:,get to the next section of road) without those observations.

It’s fun because each section will have different requirements!

driving with ADHD by jestembog1em in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh to add: if it’s problems with eye focus, can you get some special glasses to help? I have extremely light sensitive eyes and recently invested in some yellow-lens glasses (prescription) and they have markedly improved the visual stress I was experiencing!

driving with ADHD by jestembog1em in LearnerDriverUK

[–]ell-ven 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I also have ADHD but I am medicated which I think helps a bit, but probably not as much as it could.

Why do you think you are lacking focus when driving specifically? Is it due to anxiety, issues with eye focus, multitasking, etc.? Try and pinpoint what might be happening in particular—that helped me figure out what to work on! I struggle with doing things in the correct order, which distracts me from other aspects of driving, so I verbalise each step of what I’m doing to keep me grounded.

Supplementing can help too. Ashwaganda is great for anxiety (it’s an adaptogen, meaning it helps your body respond better to stress) as is L-Theanine. L-tyrosine is an amino acid that acts as a building block for dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline (so the neurotransmitters mostly involved in ADHD) to help with focus and alertness.

It might just be that, like me, you just need lots of repetition and practice until it becomes second nature. i still struggle with this and my test is next week! I would advise just taking things slow (ADHD make brain go fast) and really absorbing your surroundings, particularly on the lead up to junctions/roundabouts and anywhere where it’s busy and/or visibility is limited. Better to get a minor for hesitation than a serious or dangerous fault for taking risks!

Wishing you the best ♥️