I hate driving tests

I hate driving tests.  Any kind of test really stinks.  I remember very well that feeling of loneliness and complete despair when I would read a question in a school exam and not have a clue what the answer was – that really is a horrible place to be.  But this driving test business is something else.  Why do they make people go through this process?  Doesn’t seem right to me.  I don’t even like these make believe tests they do at work, all those faces watching me, or listening in to my calls with customers, it is so intimidating.  Is this all designed to be “character building”?  “Character demolishing” more like.

I did a few mock tests with my driving instructor – boy he takes it so seriously, “get a life you saddo!”.  I’m pretty sure he just loves sitting there watching me mess up.  And I pay him to do that!  How stupid am I?  I never felt brilliant after the mocks, there was always something that he would have to nit pick about – where I was looking on one of those stupid manoover things (is that how you spell it?), or leaving my signal on, or my speed, it was never ever completely right.  But I got fed up with them in the end.  I’d rather pay the money and do the real test, even if I fail right?  I did think about changing instructor again, but I couldn’t be asked to have to listen to yet another one’s endless life story, I’m fed up with driving instructors.

So, I didn’t sleep well last night.  Just like the night before my other driving tests…. my heart is going so fast, I can’t fall asleep.  All I’m thinking about is what the examiner is going to be like.  When I do finally fall asleep the alarm goes off.  I didn’t know what to wear this morning (again).  Every time I’ve gone down there, I see some of them are wearing really scruffy stuff, and that’s just the instructors! LOL! It’s difficult to know what to wear really.  My friend said she wore something revealing to please the examiner, and ended up with a female examiner!  Whoops!

Couldn’t eat breakfast.  Texted my best friend, she’s the only one who knows about this one.  Told my work I’ve got a dentist appointment.  My instructor texted me to remind me to bring both bits of the driving licence, yea, like I’m gonna forget that aren’t I?

And then it was the same old stuff again.  Instructor turns up, I’m embarrassed because my fingers are shaking, even my left leg wobbles, why does it do that?!  I pay him (again), what a rip off.  I then try and drive, but keep stalling, or I forget to put the clutch down when I change gear, and the stupid thing wont go in gear (he keeps telling me not to do automatics, but I think it would be so much easier).  This stupid lady this morning even bibbed me from behind because I didn’t turn left quick enough for her.  I hate it when they do that, everyone is so impatient these days, they have no respect for us learners.

I made sure I had a smoke this time though, outside the test place.  I think it did actually help my nerves, but I forgot to put the mints in my bag…. embarrassing.

Could not believe how quiet it was today.  I was really lucky, I think the mid-morning test is a good time, or I might just have been lucky.  Had a lady this time, she was really nice, kept saying “my lovely”, she sounded like my Mum!  But she still failed me.  I made someone slow down too much because I didn’t know I was in a 50.  Is that my fault?  Council should put more stupid signs up.  She didn’t mention about my stall, I knew I’d failed it after that stall.

I’m not sure I can do this much longer.  It doesn’t do my health any good, sometimes my heart goes so fast when I’m driving, I feel a bit dizzy.  That can’t be right can it?  So I suppose I’ve got to fork out another £100 now for another go…. it’s too expensive, I can’t afford to keep on failing.  I haven’t cried so much this time.  I never do in front of my instructor, but I haven’t cried that much at home this time either – I’m feeling more lonely and sad than want to cry.  I don’t know.  I think this testing business is stupid, my Mum said she passed first time after 8 lessons……WHAT?!

I see all these photos on Facebook with people holding up there pass, and it just makes me feel inadequate.  What is it about me that means I can’t pass the test?  Is it because whenever I take it, they need to have more fails to even up the pass rate?  The whole thing is just so unfair.  My best friend has told me to just book up another test as soon as they will let me – that’s another thing that annoys me, why can’t I just re-book a test straight away?  Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!  The whole thing is stupid! 

I hate driving tests.

Anon

BIG TOM Driving School   Intensive Driving Courses in Peterborough, Stamford, Spalding, Boston, Sleaford, and Grantham.

How To Find Time For Driving Lessons

These are busy times for everyone.  Wondering how to find time for driving lessons can be tricky, this blog will give you some practical tips to think about.

If you are wanting to learn to drive, let's say as a complete beginner, then the DVSA have stated that on average it will take 40 odd hours of driving lessons with a Driving Instructor and 20 odd hours of driving lessons with friends/family.  At an hour a week, that would be coming on for 10 months worth of driving lessons, and it would probably be more realistic to add some more if you don't have the opportunity to practise with parents/friends in between lessons with a Driving Instructor.

It would also probably be wise to take into account events that crop up that are another drain on your time, and I am sure there will be many... school/college exams, holidays, special events, and work commitments. Things simply crop up, that will have more priority than your 1 hour driving lesson per week.  Not to mention of course, sudden illness, or an injury that prevents you from driving.  In the winter months we have less daylight hours of course, and whilst some night time driving practise is recommended, like everything in life, you will need to balance it.  As such, it is very easy for that 10 month period to realistically be a year.  

The BIG TOM 5 day intensive driving course offers an alternative to deal with this problem of time.  In fact, if budget allows, it is normally possible to fit in any amount of hours over a given period so as to take into account your own learning preferences and time pressures in any given times of the week or month.  Customers from across the UK in London, St. Neots, Oakham, Huntingdon and Nottingham are making use of the flexible service offered by Big Tom Driving School in finding a solution that fits their needs.  

Contact us here for more information on how to get your driving licence faster
 

The Power of an Intensive Driving Course in Grantham

Watch this short video to witness the sheer power of an intensive driving course in Grantham!

There is no fun in using up your time and hard earned money on driving lessons if there is no winning line in sight!  My advice would be to take control of the situation.  If the pace of your progress is not as fast as you would like, then do as Kim did, and convert that hard effort into the result you want. 



To reserve an intensive driving course in Grantham, call 01476 850 050

BIG TOM Driving School

3 ways to be a great driver

The following 3 tips on how to be a great driver will save you hundreds if not thousands of pounds over the course of your driving life.

Have you noticed how drivers get very defensive about the standard of their driving?  Seldom will you hear a person admitting they are not a good driver.  Have you ever considered why that might be?  What is it about driving that makes people get so defensive?  Fear, pride, nerves, over confidence, lack of co-ordination, uncertainty about a car?  Does gender make a difference, the age of the person, what kind of vehicle they drive, how often they drive, where they drive, how well they were taught to drive, who and how they were influenced about standards of driving from childhood upwards?  

Well, any given person you choose to ask these questions to, could give you a different answer – for such a common activity that millions of us undertake on a daily basis, it is actually a highly personal subject.  The path a person takes on their journey to passing the driving test, and then driving for the rest of their life, can be a highly emotional one and very personal.

It still remains a fact that on average, less than 50% of people taking the driving test in the UK will pass first time, and the car insurance premiums are a constant reminder of the difficulties we all experience on the roads.  But spend a minute considering those two factors alone:

Each driving test costs £62 for the test itself, and if a driving school car is being used, typically an attempt at the driving test will cost in excess of £100.

Having a collision in a vehicle is costly in terms of the potentially raised insurance premiums, and the excess that may need to be paid, but also the effect on your health with injuries, loss of pay due to lost work, not to mention any psychological trauma that may result.  So this is most certainly a fluid situation, forever evolving, dependent on many factors that alter as you go through your driving life. 

What is the answer to this problem? 

My work experience for nearly 20 years now has given me the opportunity to see for myself, in close detail, the problems encountered with the process of learning to drive, and also the general consequence of poor driving.  It is fair to say that whilst a lot of media attention is afforded to laying the problem at the feet of young drivers, there are dozens of reasons why the standard of driving of any driver can start to dip.  Let me offer 3 tips that will help you on your path to be a great driver:

1.       Train well.  The training for this skill that you will be using on a daily basis for the rest of your life, will equate to less than 10p per day if you start to drive as a teenager.  See the bigger picture, take the long view, and plan for safe driving beyond the driving test – this will be money well spent.

2.        Have a professional review your driving ability on a yearly basis.  Consider it like a health check.  Big Tom Driving School provides a comprehensive assessment that reviews eyesight, reaction time and forward planning skills in today’s busy and hectic driving conditions for as little as £30.  When you consider the possible consequences involved, the price to pay for this assessment will be tiny in comparison.

3.       Form good habits.  Just like many other aspects of our life, whether it is to do with health, gardening, cooking, playing golf, nurturing relationships, construction, when you do things well, because you have got in the habit of doing them well, it takes less mental effort to obtain the same high standard.   A high driving standard is no different.  By gaining the knowledge of good driving techniques, and getting used to applying them so that they form habits, you are well on your way to becoming a great driver.

You have the opportunity to greatly influence the experiences that will be coming your way in the future on the roads.  Experiences that are as much to do with how you may possibly affect other road users (mostly inadvertently), as they are to do with how others affect you (again, mostly inadvertently). As a rule, drivers don't deliberately drive round, intentionally upsetting others with their poor driving.   

There is a vast array of drivers out there on the public roads, all with varying degrees of confidence, ability, and experience, but one thing you do have control of is reviewing how you fit in to that complex mix.  In that regard, the future is indeed, in your hands.

BIG TOM Driving School  Intensive Driving Courses in Lincoln, Peterborough, Grantham, Spalding, Sleaford, Boston, Bourne and Stamford  Tel: 0800 689 4174

What is a good driving lesson in Stamford

What does a good driving lesson in Stamford look like, how does it feel?  Is it about feeling more confident, or driving places you haven’t driven before, in weather you’ve not driven in before, or with a friend in the back chatting to you while you drive?  Is it all about not stalling once?  Take a look at this video to help answer what is a good driving lesson?

Taking driving lessons at this moment in your life, will be just that.....a moment on reflection in years to come.  Right now, at THIS very moment, with your busy diary and pressures on money, it is hard to see past the very next driving lesson, but try to believe me when I say, the skill you are developing now, is very likely to be used for practically every single day of every single year ....... FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.  What you are doing now, is literally just a moment in time.  You wont necessarily realise it, but the experience you are now going through is going to mould your driving experience for the rest of your life.

Close the door on the “noise” of modern life, cut the distractions for 30 seconds, and see things for what they are.  

This period of time right now, when you are learning to drive, is going to influence how well you drive, how considerate you are to other road users, how much control you have of the car, how well you will respond in an emergency situation, how comfortable you will feel parking in superstore car parks...... for the rest of your life.

My advice? 

Aim high. 

Please tell me down below, what a good driving lesson in Stamford feels like to you.

http://www.bigtom.org.uk/home/

Best Intensive Driving Course in Grantham

Kelly took our intensive driving course in Grantham and passed first time saying "Great guy who knows what he is doing I would definitely recommend" and gave us a 5 star customer review

How To Find the Best Intensive Driving Course in Grantham ?

When you are looking for the best intensive driving course in Grantham there are some signs to look out for that show a commitment to Quality & Value.  BIG TOM Driving School (01476 850 050) have years of experience providing intensive driving courses in Grantham, and have produced in this blog a short list of key ingredients that you can refer to when comparing driving schools in Grantham.

·         In-car training hours and price – take care when comparing this one, with some providers it is not so obvious!  At Big Tom Driving School we provide exceptional value intensive driving courses.  Be sure to check that the hours quoted are actually hours spent driving in the car, and not chatting in classrooms..... you have been warned!  We give choice of start times, we pick up and drop off at home or work.

·         Resources – ask about the range of training resources that are made available.  We provide free access to the reputable Theory Test Pro.  We also provide access to quality driving videos, DSA approved DVD’s and publications.  Our customers benefit from a Driving Instructor in Grantham who has sat in on 100's of driving tests and knows the driving test standard.

·         Driving Test Centres – do you have choices where to do the driving test?  We provide tests at Grantham, Lincoln, Peterborough and Boston.

·         Express courses – want an intensive driving course fast, and an express driving test to be arranged? Our customers benefit from our quick booking of intensive driving courses and also our unique driving test booking service that helps our customers jump driving test waiting queues. We handle all of this for our customers.  We allow them to concentrate on the driving.

In our experience, by far the biggest trap to fall into of the above is the very first one.  If it is not clear to you how much time you will spend driving on your intensive driving course, then beware!  

Take a moment to check out our wonderful customer reviews, no pre-set computer generated comments there, 100% authentic feedback from satisfied customers.

When looking for the best Intensive Driving Course in Grantham, use the above as a template to ask questions that will demonstrate the commitment to Quality & Value.

Check here for more frequently asked questions on our intensive driving courses in Grantham.

BIG TOM Driving School  Intensive Driving Course in Grantham 01476 850 050

Booking a Driving Test in Spalding

I recently got a call from a resident in Spalding asking about booking a driving test in Spalding.  The driving test centre in Spalding was closed down a few years ago, leaving the two nearest choices as Peterborough or Boston.

As you can see from this video here, there is much to be gained from taking driving lessons in Spalding; it’s a great place to learn to drive and offers a wide range of driving conditions.  It has the new bypass to Peterborough with it’s national speed limit, it has very tight residential areas such as around Spalding Grammar School, and it has a good variety of roundabouts to navigate.  Emma from Bourne who is seen in the above photo, proudly showing her new driving licence, took the BIG TOM intensive driving course and loved it.

But, as I mentioned to this caller, unfortunately, you simply cannot book a driving test in Spalding any longer.   The caller has decided to go for Boston Test Centre next Monday, as it has much more availability for more recent driving test slots.  Peterborough Test Centre typically has a 4-6 week advance booking (although there are ways to overcome this problem, see here).

He does also have first hand knowledge of travelling in and around Boston which is a key consideration.  At Big Tom Driving School we specifically do NOT drive only on driving test routes; but it is very sensible to get yourself at least acquainted with the area in which you intend to take your driving test.  It is quite surprising how the driving conditions do vary between driving test centres across the UK, not just in terms of the road layout and designs, but also in terms of the quantity of foreign or elderly drivers, the amount of large lorries in the area, the landscape with steep hills can make a difference, and university cities often will have more cyclists for example.

So as unfortunate as it is for residents of Spalding that they can no longer book a driving test in Spalding, all is not lost – there is a driving test centre within about half an hour drive from Spalding, and my advice would be to take the time to familiarise yourself with the area.

For another driving in Spalding video, click here.

BIG TOM Driving School   Intensive driving course in Spalding 0800 689 4174