Hey, what’s up? My name is Tamera, I’m 23 years old, I’m a Jamaican and this is my first ever independent blog post. I created this word press account almost a year ago and I’ve just decided to take the writing plunge.
Introductions aside, lets’s get to the topic at hand: My Struggles With Learning How to Drive in Jamaica
I began driving lessons in the summer of 2017. I decided to learn the automatic transmission as I do not have the strength to take on standard transmission (fight me). At first it went pretty well; I caught on quickly and my instructor made me seem like I was actually made to drive (lol). However, after I did 10 lessons I didn’t feel ready to take the test and I had to go back to school as I was boarding away from home at the time. Unfortunately, while I spent another year at school I did not do any practice at all and the by the time I went back home in the following summer of 2018 I was back at square 1. By this time my first Provisional Driver’s License had expired and I needed to purchase another one. So I did that and went back to taking lessons at random intervals.
Initially, when I started my lessons they were JMD$1100 a lesson and by the time I came back the following year, the cost per lesson had jumped to JMD$1500. So you know as an unemployed university student/graduate I had to reallllly budget those lessons in. I eventually managed to secure a job, but another issue came up; I live far away from work so I didn’t have time to do lessons as frequently.
Now it’s May 2019, my second Provisional Driver’s License is expiring in July. I managed to get a couple more lessons in and my instructor told me to pay for the examination which is right around the corner.
The issue is, I don’t feel ready. Not only do I lack sufficient practice because I don’t have an available car at home, my instructor has sent into me a world wind of confusion. After almost 2 years (On and OFF) of parking and reversing, he has just noticed that I am not very competent in a critical component of the road test. This discovery he conveniently made after he encouraged me to pay for the test and I now have a booked date waiting on me.
I am a nervous wreck.
Yes, my first blog is a blog of complaint, see with me. I am just so busted because I have invested considerably in getting this hurdle out of the way and now I feel like I have been wasting time. I want to punch myself.
So if you assumed that I’m here writing this blog as a means to seek validation for my feelings and to possibly get some encouragement, you are spot on. How do I pass my Driving Test knowing that there are so may things going against me; the likelihood that I may get a “fight out” (if you’re Jamaican you know wah mi mean), my lack of practice and the fact that I don’t want to spend anymore on lessons if my own instructor does not realize that he hasn’t been giving me comprehensive lessons.
Please send help.
-Tamera
Tamera On Life 