These days, you’d be forgiven for thinking that every Oxford driving school was of the exact same quality and followed the exact same rule book. You’d also be entirely wrong, however, as the sheer volume of instructors and schools on the market right now means quality standards have never differed quite so radically.
So, what this means from the new learner’s perspective is a rather pressing need to be proactive when it comes to the process of organising and booking a course of lessons. What works for one might not be the best way to go for another, so it’s wise not to follow any ‘standards’ or rules of thumb, but to instead go your own way – book around your needs and your needs alone.
Driving School Choice
For example, when choosing a driving school the simplest way of going about things is to carry out a little vetting prior to going ahead. These days, there isn’t a single driving school in operation that was not reviewed and generally pulled to pieces online by those that have used their respective services before. By looking at the reviews, write-ups, testimonials and success stories of any given driving school prior to booking, you can find out just how capable they are of doing what it is they’re supposed to do best – make you into a safe and confident driver.
The key here is to never go ahead unless you’re 100% confident in the school as a whole and have established its reputation. Not only will this undoubtedly ensure a better result, but it can also work wonders for your own confidence from day one.
Driving Tutor Choice
Quite often, after getting in touch with a driving school it will be the school itself that assigns you a tutor. As such, you may not exactly be given a great deal of choice with regard to the tutors on offer, though if you happen to have heard about one specific tutor you’d like to learn under, you can of course request that you be put into their care. And if they’re not available, there’s no harm in waiting until they are.
If on the other hand, you go with the tutor selected for you by the school, never fall into the trap of thinking you’re stuck with them for as many weeks or months as the course you’re taking lasts. This can be a hugely demotivating way to go as if after a lesson or two it’s apparent that the two of you clash or you simply don’t like the way they teach, it can be seriously depressing to think you’re now stuck in the course.
You’re not – there’s nothing to stop you asking for a new instructor at any time and for any given reason without having to explain yourself. You’re the customer, you’re paying for the service so in this department at least, you call the shots.
Course and Lesson Type
Other than the instructor and school, the other important decision you’ll have to make is that of what type of course and lesson plan to go for. Generally speaking, you’ll have the choice of regular lessons over the course of several weeks or months, along with the option of an intensive course – both of which have their perks and drawbacks.
- Standard Courses – One of the bonuses of learning over a longer period of time is the way in which it is much easier to fit the course in around your standard everyday life. If, for example, you’re juggling a full time job and a busy family schedule at home, it’s not likely that you’re going to be able to make time for several hours of driving tuition each week. By contrast, one hour per week is much more agreeable. Of course, the downside is that of it taking longer to get your license at the end of the course.
- Intensive Courses – For those with the required time to spare, an intensive course can be a great way of going from newcomer to fully-capable driver in a matter of weeks – sometimes just a single week, in fact. It’s a case of being well and truly thrown in at the deep end, which can in some instances be the best way to go for nervous drivers too – less time between lessons means less time for nerves to get the better of you. The only real downside of this kind of driving tuition is the rather large initial outlay as the whole thing is paid for in one lump sum.
The Takeaway…
On the whole, the key thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way of learning to drive – all that matters is that you come out the other end a safe, confident and happy motorist!
