Calmly to the aim

The spirit is strong, but the body is weak – each of us in our lives has encountered this problem. How many times did we think we were ready to take on a task just to be stopped by sudden stress or unwanted thoughts? In the case of driving exams, unfortunately, this happens particularly often – even a theoretically prepared student “stumbles” on the practical part, they cannot cope with the stress. They also make their own “terrible stories”, most often told among friends – about examiners who fail for the slightest deviation and exams not passed for the slightest mistake. It is sometimes really hard to stay calm behind the wheel with all this… but is there really anything to be afraid of? The following text is for all those who have problems with stress before the exam:

 Don’t worry about failure.
Negative driving test result are not the end of the world. If something really went wrong, work on your weaknesses. A few extra driving lessons with an experienced drviving instructor should be enough. Even if everything fails, there is no need to worry too much about failure. Remember that it’s all about our safety first – if we don’t pass, it’s very possible that we lack the right skills and would be a danger to ourselves and others on the road. However, additional driving lessons should solve this problem – so there is nothing to worry about, and it is much better to just try again

I. Preparation is the basis
Remember, getting a driver’s license is not a race. Our road safety will largely depend on the knowledge we gain. Therefore, if you don’t feel up to it at the moment, it is worth giving yourself a little more time and preparing yourself accordingly. First of all, it is worthwhile to get acquainted with the rules of the exam itself – many people feel better having a trained routine in their heads, so a few rounds of repetitions will certainly not hurt us. The same with extra hours of driving, if we still don’t feel confident behind the wheel, it is worth thinking about additional driving lessons.

2. Don’t be paranoid.

Some people may remember this moment in their studies: there is a queue of students lining up in front of the professor’s office to tell terrifying stories about the exam. Very often, after hearing such a story, you are absolutely stressed before you sit behind the wheel of a car. It is very often the same with a driving test – being influenced by “heard somewhere” stories about how difficult and exhausting the exams are, we get paranoid ourselves and we get mentally exhausted even before they start. And there’s really nothing to give up – if we’ve been prepared by a good driving school and have done our best, there’s really not much that should threaten us.

3. Adjust the time to yourself.
Each of us has the “time” in which he or she is the most active and where he or she handles everything best. For some it’s morning, for others it’s afternoon – there is no one rule when it’s best to pass the exam. Let’s choose the time to feel confident and full of strength – then we significantly increase our chances to pass. Although, it is worth noting that for people who are susceptible to stress, it is more appropriate to choose early hours. Half a day’s waiting time can be too exhausting for some.

4. Think about the examiner
When entering the waiting room and seeing the examiner, try to see a passenger who wants to feel safe and secure during a short driving with you as the driver. Show that you can drive, be careful and try to anticipate situations on the road. Speak up about what you want to do. When the examiner hears you commenting loudly on changing situations, e.g. “junction, I’m being careful, I’m looking around, we’re getting to the pedestrian crossing. Provided, of course, that you not only talk about it but above all confirm it with your behaviour behind the wheel 🙂. If you do not understand the examiner’s instructions, ask him to repeat them or explain them. Many people – having the prospect of an exam or a pass – fall into the same syndrome in which they see their enemy in the examiner. Unfortunately, this rarely leads to anything good – usually we are stressing even more, making us more likely to make mistakes. And there is really no point: the examiner, if we can drive, is nobody else but a passenger who only cares about safe driving. Very rarely does he have any negative intentions towards us, and as long as we let him feel that we are in control of the situation, nothing really should threaten us. It is also worth taking care of proper, mutual contact: if we don’t understand commands, we have the right to ask about them and it won’t have a negative impact on our result. Similarly, our commenting on the situation on the road may confirm the examiner’s belief that we are really sure what we are doing.