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For one thing, it’s great to be able to travel around under your own steam, whatever you want to, without having to rely on other people to get you from point A to point B.
For another thing, you simply have many more options available to you when you are able to drive – such as, for example, a greater ability to commute for work, or to visit interesting locales.
Of course, it’s one thing to want to get your licence, and it’s another thing to actually pass your driving test and to get out onto the road in earnest. For many people, the process of getting a driving licence can be pretty daunting and drawn-out.
Here are just a few tips that can help you to get your driving licence, and to stay sane while doing so.
Put in enough practice before your test
Driving lessons are absolutely essential, of course, if you want to learn how to drive effectively and safely, and if you want to pass your test.
Nonetheless, driving lessons obviously cost money, and so it is sometimes the case that people will try to get by on the fewest number of lessons possible, before making an attempt on the test.
The thing is, there’s a balance that needs to be struck. If you don’t have enough time on the road, the odds of you actually passing your driving test drop exponentially, and you will subsequently have to deal with the loss of money, time, and the general-purpose demoralisation that comes with that.
Of course, you can’t take driving lessons indefinitely before committing to trying for your test, but you should try and get honest feedback from your instructor about how “ready” you are, and should use your own discernment, as well. If there are still all sorts of things you don’t really understand about driving, and if you’re still not very comfortable behind the wheel, then it’s probably not a good idea to get in the car with an examiner just yet.
Adopt the mindset of “what happens, happens” on the day
You should, of course, do whatever you can before your test to prepare – including practising enough, revising the material, going into the test well-rested, and so on.
That being said, though, it can be very useful to “surrender things to fate” on the day itself, and to adopt a mindset of “what happens, happens.”
The more anxious and hyper-focused you are, with regards trying to make a good impression during your test, or to compensate for perceived mistakes that you think you might have made, the likelier you are to miss important things, and to sabotage yourself at the same time.
Go out there, and do your best to accept that things will work out how they work out. Just drive.
Get a good night’s sleep and find ways to calm yourself down before your test
Sleep deprivation can slow your reaction time, make you less aware of features of your environment, make you more stressed, and can sabotage your ability to drive effectively, in a range of different ways.
Unfortunately, good, relaxing sleep typically isn’t so easy to come by if you are too stressed, anxious, and in anticipation of what tomorrow’s going to bring.
It’s essential that you come up with good and effective ways to try and calm yourself down before your test – both the day before, and on the day of the test itself. This might involve certain soothing supplements, a warm Epsom salt bath, a bit of meditation or relaxing music, or even some affirmations in the mirror.
In any case, when you are calm you are much more likely to make a good impression on the examiner, to notice potential obstacles as they emerge, and to do your best overall.
If you fail the test, realise that you’re not alone, and keep trying
It is, of course, pretty demoralising to fail a driving test – and yet, it’s very common for people to fail the test multiple times before they actually do pass.
If you’re one of those people who doesn’t pass their test on their first attempt – and even if you haven’t passed after several attempts – realise that you’re not alone, and that many other people have been in your shoes, but have eventually passed.
It’s important that you don’t become completely disheartened by that setback. Instead, just keep doing the work, and keep taking the test, and sooner or later you will pass.
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