What to Practice on the First Day of Driving?

[DeMiranda]

On the first day, practice parallel parking. Here are the relevant introductions: 1. Habits: Good habits start with fastening the seat belt. After adjusting the seat and mirrors, fasten the seat belt. Whether learning to drive now or driving by yourself in the future, fastening the seat belt is an essential step. 2. Precautions: Generally, students take turns practicing during driving lessons. So, after finishing your practice, remember to pull the handbrake before parking the car and switching to the next student. Only after pulling the handbrake should you safely exit the vehicle. 3. Driving posture: The idle speed of driving school cars is usually set slightly higher. When first learning to drive, instructors usually do not encourage students to step on the accelerator and often disconnect the accelerator cable. Due to the idle speed driving, the speed is very low, and sometimes pressing the clutch can immediately stop the car.

[DiLeo]

On the first day of driving practice, the instructor directly had me sit in the driver's seat. I was a bit nervous, but then they told me not to touch the accelerator yet—just sit there and get a feel for the steering wheel, and try adjusting the seat and rearview mirrors. The instructor said that familiarizing myself with the car's feel was more important than driving, and had me slowly use the soles of my feet to sense the clutch's depth, practicing the release and press motions repeatedly. Steering wheel practice was quite interesting—turning it fully left and right three and a half times each until I could count the turns without looking down. Only in the last ten minutes did they let me shift into first gear, moving slowly around the training area, controlling the speed entirely with the clutch. The instructor repeatedly emphasized: on the first day, don't rush—let your hands and feet memorize the rhythm of these basic operations first.

[LeMia]

On the first day of driving practice, beginners actually focus on developing a feel for the car. I remember being completely stiff when I first touched the steering wheel. The instructor directly turned off the throttle and had me control the speed with the clutch, practicing straight-line crawling in an open area. The key exercises were threefold: finding the semi-engagement point of the clutch to get a feel for it, practicing full left and right turns of the steering wheel to build muscle memory, and adjusting the rearview mirrors three times to develop observation habits. The instructor kept nagging me not to stare at the dashboard but to keep my eyes level and look far ahead. My right foot was constantly hovering over the brake, but surprisingly, the most exhausted was my left foot from pressing the clutch until it cramped. Before wrapping up, the instructor made me practice emergency stops, saying it was to develop a conditioned reflex. It felt like taming a steel monster on the first day—no rushing it.

[EverlyFitz]

The key focus on the first day of driving practice boils down to two words: control. After sitting in the driver's seat, I was first instructed to adjust the three mirrors. The coach said the rear door handles must be visible in the mirrors to pass. The next half hour was spent solely practicing steering—turning the wheel lock-to-lock to develop muscle memory, feeling like playing a giant arcade game. The coach suddenly yelled 'Stop!'—only then did I realize the car had stalled because I hadn't fully depressed the clutch with my left foot. The second half focused exclusively on clutch control: engaging first gear without touching the accelerator, using partial clutch engagement to make the car crawl like a snail. The coach kept reminding: 'Don't twist the steering wheel like wringing a towel, keep arms relaxed; lift the entire foot when releasing the clutch, don't just use the toes.' By the end, my sweaty palms had soaked the steering wheel.