Features

Teens push past nervousness for driver’s test

Deliliah Neff, Contributing Writer
December 20, 2021

Some are natural, some need practice. Confidence is key when it comes to driving a car. The steps to take to drive a car can become confusing and complicated. However, with the right guidance and good tips, driving could be more relaxed.

Turning 16 means you can finally get your license. Sophomore Paige Oyler had high nerves while taking her driver’s test.

“I was terrified to get it,” Oyler said. “I was shaking, but whenever we got into the car and did all the turn signals and stuff it just clicked in my head and I just got in game mode.”

Like others, Oyler was nervous for her test. A stranger in your car critiquing your every move could make one uneasy. However, Oyler took advantage of extra practice and even took some practice tests.

“I did a lot of extra practice and spent extra time on parallel parking, even though I ended up failing it in the end,” Oyler said. “A couple days before I took my test my mom and I drove the possible routes that I could take for the test just to get a feel for it.”

Sophomore Alyssa Schmidly is awaiting her birthday to take her test. Schmidly’s birthday is May 17th, and she has utilized her learner’s permit ever since.

“I’ve had my permit for about 7 months,” Schmidly said. “Sometimes it’s (driving) terrifying. I go to the lake a lot and there’s a lot of curvy roads but when I’m just in Nixa it’s fine.”

Schmidly is comfortable driving on roads by herself, but when you add the actions of other drivers to the mix; that’s when she begins to rush.

“Remaining calm is a big thing that needs improvement,” Schmidly said. “The moment someone does something I wasn’t expecting them to do, I begin to panic.”

While everyone will feel different about driving and have different opinions about it, it is important to focus on the aspects of driving that you need more practice on. Before her test, Schmidly will work on some other crucial parts of driving on the road.

“I’m bad at merging,” Schmidly said. “In general, I check everything and I know exactly what I’m doing, even though I may not know what everyone else is doing.”