# Getting my license



## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

I'm working to get my license this summer, hopefully in the next month or so, depending on when I can get a date for the driving portion of the test.
I'm going to practice driving at least 4 nights a week over the next month. I'm going to study for the knowledge portion of the test and take that by June 10th. I'm going to take the 8-hour Safe Driving Practices course required by my state by June 16th.

I have other goals for this summer, but that is probably the biggest (second to finding a therapist here now I've moved back home from school).


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## SeekingHappiness (Dec 14, 2009)

good on you for showing initiative, I would say good luck but I'm guessing you won't need it


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## Fitzer (Feb 13, 2010)

Good luck! I was really nervous about taking my driving test too but now I love having my license and being able to drive myself everywhere.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

So I did it a bit backwards.
Today is June 10th and I didn't get to the DMV for the knowledge part of the test.
However, yesterday I went to the local driving school (drove there, actually, with my mother) and got the Driving Practices course certification that I need.
I just learned that I need my neurologist to fill out a page for me saying that I have gone more than 6 months (almost a year now, actually!) without a seizure and will be safe to get a driver's license. That shouldn't take long. And anyway, they don't need it at the DMV until I go for the actual driving test, and I've not even got a date for that yet.
Anyway, just keeping my goal updated. Don't know if anyone will read this or not...


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## lostinlife (Jun 2, 2010)

Don't know if you are still checking this but I recently was taking some refresher courses on driving and was curious on the preferred steering method they use on the DMV road test. I was always taught the push-pull method of steering but my new instructor prefers I use the hand-over-hand method of steering. I got my license through a driving school and didn't have to take the road test so I was curious if there was a "right" way to steer.

Here's a video of push-pull method: 



Here's a video of the "hand-over-hand" method:


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

Thanks lostinlife!

I am happy to say that I have my road test a week from today!


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## fredbloggs02 (Dec 14, 2009)

I took my test very recently, like a couple of weeks ago. I made 11 mistakes in my mock, passed the actual thing with a blank sheet. if you take a mock road test don't worry, they do you down or did in my case, the real test provided you get a nice examiner is far easier.


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## Pr0n (May 20, 2010)

Miss Meggie said:


> Thanks lostinlife!
> 
> I am happy to say that I have my road test a week from today!


Good luck. I was a bit nervous when i did mine last year, but as soon as you get through it you'll see that it's a piece of cake .


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## lyssado707 (Oct 29, 2004)

Good luck! Mine's the day after tomorrow :afr


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

lyssado707 said:


> Good luck! Mine's the day after tomorrow :afr


Good luck to you as well!

I will keep everyone posted as to whether I pass or not! :um
I'm fairly sure I will since I've been doing fairly well driving with my parents and such.


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## strawberryjulius (Jun 28, 2009)

Good luck, if you haven't done it yet. :b

I just got my learner's license on Monday and will start learning to drive soon. (We do the road rules test first before we're allowed to go out and drive.)


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## tim78 (Nov 2, 2008)

Good luck. Getting a driver's license is one of my biggest fears. I'm 32, and I still don't have a license, although I've had a couple of permits. Maybe I should make this a goal for myself, too.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

I have my driving test in 2 hours.
*So* nervous!


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## matty (Nov 2, 2009)

Dont be meggie, I know you will do just fine. Just like you have been practicing. Good luck, not that you need it.


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## poeticinjustice (Jul 3, 2010)

Hey congratulations! my drivers test is next week *gulp* too bad i've only driven like 3 times


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

I am so upset.
I failed.
I made an appointment to go back and try again in 3 weeks. I don't even want to go.
**** my life.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

max4225 said:


> Sorry, I didn't pass at first either. I was driving this giant old Buick, I learned while driving smaller cars like compacts and hatchbacks. Helps to practice in an empty parking lot for a while to just get a feel for the car.
> Good luck


Thanks. I'm actually finding more people than I expected who failed their test the first time around. After I told my friend Ben today, he informed me that he'd failed his first time round too.
And like you, I learned driving a nice small car- a VW Beetle. I took the test in a SUV. :roll


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## strawberryjulius (Jun 28, 2009)

Ah, good luck for your next test then.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

Just to keep anyone who cares updated, I've been practicing my driving still more. 
I'm hoping that I'll be able to borrow my cousin's little car for the test. I learned to drive in my mom's VW Beetle, so I'm much better at things like reverse parking and such in a small car than a big car. (I can't take my mom's car because one of the side mirrors is broken, and that isn't considered to be in "road-safe condition.") 
When I took the test the first time, I drove my dad's big car. I don't have a problem driving it, but things like reverse parking and such are much more difficult for me in that car.


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## origami potato (Jan 9, 2010)

It's good to see you're keeping positive.  You can do it! 

I totally agree on the big car < small car. I *had* to learn how to drive in a hunky SUV/Ford Explorer. That thing felt like a monster! I felt totally disconnected from the road in that! Oy, I'm so glad I've got my small Yaris nowadays. ^^

Keep it up.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

So my driving test is on Tuesday. I'm feeling a bit more confident this time round. I've been driving to and from work every single day for the last 3 weeks. (I even drove over to visit my best friend in New York State with my mom. It's an hour and a half drive.) And now that I know what things I did wrong the first time, I can avoid them this time. 
I'll also be able to take my mom's VW Beetle this time! She just had the side mirror replaced, so I'll be able to drive that. I am *so* much more confident in her car, especially reverse parking and making narrow turns. (Both of which were problems the first time round...)


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## lostinlife (Jun 2, 2010)

Good luck!


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

Tomorrow is my driving test!
Yikes!


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## MindOverMood (Dec 12, 2009)

Good luck, don't get yourself too worked up =]


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## Leary88 (Jun 6, 2010)

Good luck Miss Meggie!

I doubt I'll have my license before I turn 22 in October, so I'll probably be going for mine by this time next summer too. Procrastination sucks but it's so great that you're getting yours. Congrats, I'm sure you'll do well.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

So... I failed again.
I've never failed _anything_ until now.
I'm 22 and I still don't have my license. I am sure I'll fail again when I go back in a month.
I watched kids who looked about 12 leaving with their licenses and I sat there rescheduling a test for the second time.
I'm such a loser.
And I'm starting to realise that all of my goals that I had (getting my license, getting my own apartment, etc.) are silly day dreams that will never come true.


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## MindOverMood (Dec 12, 2009)

Miss Meggie said:


> So... I failed again.
> I've never failed _anything_ until now.
> I'm 22 and I still don't have my license. I am sure I'll fail again when I go back in a month.
> I watched kids who looked about 12 leaving with their licenses and I sat there rescheduling a test for the second time.
> ...


:hug
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again"

Don't worry about others getting their license, just focus on yourself.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

Thanks mindovermood. 
I was really starting to feel like I wouldn't be able to do the other things I want to do, like get my own apartment and everything. I was thinking, "If a 16 year old can get a driver's license and I can't, how do I expect to be able to do things a 22 year old can do?"
I took a nap, thought about it for a little bit, then went to see my therapist.
I realised I was being kind of stupid.
My next driving test is August 24th. Another month, but I'm going again.
ANd I'm signing the lease for the apartment on Friday.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

So my driving test is on Tuesday. Two days. I've been driving every day and I'm also reading this book my dad got me about driving and the Connecticut State DMV Driving Manual. I'll be taking my mom's little Beetle again as well.
I'm ridiculously nervous. I've been worried about it for a week now.
I've also moved into my apartment and have been staying here for the last two weeks. I still have a few more things at my mom's house, but for the most part, I'm all moved in.
It's really important to me to pass the driving test this time because a)I don't want to fail a third time and b)I want to be entirely independent. For the last two weeks, I've been living on my own but have been depending on others for rides to and from work, the store, etc.


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## jennlynne5 (Aug 6, 2010)

Good luck! I bet you'll nail it this time. But try not to get too down if it doesn't happen as quickly as you want, you should be proud at how far you've come! Also.. I did a kind of "homeschooling" driver's course - using a kit I got in the mail. I was able to get my license without even having to take a drivers test. So you could always look into that.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

Test is tomorrow. I feel so sick. I probably won't be able to sleep at all.
I am watching some episodes of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" to help myself relax. Then I'm going to get in bed, read the rest of the DMV manual, and then go to sleep. Or attempt to...


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## matty (Nov 2, 2009)

Good luck Meggie,  you can do it!


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## strawberryjulius (Jun 28, 2009)

Good luck again.


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

*I passed!!!!!*
Got my shiny new driver's license with a fairly decent picture of myself on it!

Thanks to everyone who encouraged and supported me over the last few months!


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## Keith (Aug 30, 2008)

Congrats!!! That's so awesome you must be really psyched!


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## Miss Meggie (Nov 19, 2009)

Keith said:


> Congrats!!! That's so awesome you must be really psyched!


I am _so_ happy.
I'm driving over to New York to visit my friends!


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## MindOverMood (Dec 12, 2009)

:boogieGreat job!!!:boogie


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## matty (Nov 2, 2009)

Miss Meggie said:


> *I passed!!!!!*
> Got my shiny new driver's license with a fairly decent picture of myself on it!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who encouraged and supported me over the last few months!


Who rocks... Meggie does
Congrats, go terrorize the streets


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## strawberryjulius (Jun 28, 2009)

Yay!! Congrats!


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## Paragon (Apr 13, 2010)

Congrats!


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