Learning how to drive a manual transmission

*RECOMMEND: Empty parking lot WITHOUT curbs. Go after the regular work schedule, usually after 5.

1st: GET TO KNOW YOUR GEAR SHIFT!

*IMPORTANT: You want to know where 1st gear to however many gears you have and where reverse is. You want to know where the gears are. Otherwise when downshifting you might go from 6th to 2nd gear and blow your engine.

-Have the car turned all the way off and shift through the gears, going from 1st to 2nd to 3rd, etc.

-Be very familiar with your gear shift because it will come in very handy so that you don't have to keep looking down every 5 seconds.

**Being able to shift confidently and not having to look down will come with time as you keep driving every day.

2nd: GET TO KNOW YOUR CLUTCH!

*IMPORTANT: You need to know when your clutch engages. What that means is that there's a "dead" space between when your clutch is on the floor and when your clutch engages. When your clutch engages, your car will move. *ALSO note that you DO NOT need gas to make your car move*

-Practice putting the clutch in and slowly letting it out. Do it multiple times until you know when your clutch engages and how fast you can take your foot off the clutch. °°Wyatt (boyfriend) made me put the clutch in and then let it out, put my foot to the rest area which is to the left of the clutch pedal and then put the clutch back in and brake. Doing that across the parking lot multiple times (started from 5) and if I stalled, he made me restart the count.

**This was the longest and mentally exhausting process I had to learn because getting to know when my clutch engages really helped me with being able to gauge how much and when to push my gas pedal. Wyatt (boyfriend) really pushed me to make sure that I know when my clutch engages.

3rd: GET TO KNOW YOUR GAS PEDAL!

*IMPORTANT: You don't wanna burn your clutch and too much gas will also make you stall.

-Have the car parked and first Rev to about 3k rpms, hold for about 3 secs. Down to 2k rpms, hold for 3 secs. Down to 1k rpms, hold for 3 secs. Down to below 1k rpms hold for 3 secs.

**I was very surprised at how much this helped me because being able to gauge how much power/force I need to push my gas pedal with allowed me to really get to know my car and how much I need to first start my car in 1st gear and let the car drive.

4th: GET TO KNOW HOW TO DRIVE USING THE CLUTCH AND A LITTLE BIT OF GAS!

-Practice driving around the parking lot. As well as parking in between lines and back parking.

**This was a pretty lengthy process for me because I found it was easier and more comfortable for me to reverse park than to front park.

TIPS/ADVICE:

°You do not need to leave your hand on the gear shift!! It affects the transmission if you leave your hand there!!

°Get to know your clutch a lot!!

°As soon as your clutch engages, you can *still slowly* remove your foot off the clutch and rest it to the left of the clutch pedal. Do not leave your foot hovering over the clutch or on the clutch!!!

°IT IS OKAY IF YOU STALL!! You're learning how to drive a manual; most people don't know how to drive a manual at all anyways!

Lastly YOU GOT THIS!! I’M GLAD YOU’RE TAKING THE TIME TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A MANUAL. NOT ONLY IS IT SUPER COOL, BUT YOU’LL BE ABLE TO FEEL/KNOW YOUR CAR A LOT BETTER.