Happy & Healthy

GETTING YOUR LICENSE IN ONE GO?

Kiki shows you how

Praise the lord. I did it. After almost a year of taking courses and dreading sitting behind the steering wheel, I’ve finally got that bastard in my pocket. IN ONE GO. Believe me: cleavage and a short skirt won’t be your savior this time, ladies, but these tips will be.

1. Get plenty of sleep

Sounds logical. And it is. Spend at least eight hours laying out horizontally and you’ll start off your exam feeling fresh.

2. Have a power breakfast in the morning
Even if you’ve been watching what you’re eating, ignore it just for one day. Grab a sandwich, fill it with chicken, avocado and an egg. Oh and eating a banana as a snack would be wise to. It’ll stabilize your heart rate if you’re stressed.

3. Plan a lesson before your exam

Spend half an hour driving around before your exam to get ‘comfortable’ and then go straight to the DMV. Believe me, you’ll feel much more at ease.

4. Look, look, look

“Kiki, come on: inside mirror, outside mirror, blind spot.” I can still hear my driving instructor saying it. It’s been drilled into me. USE it during your exam as if your life depended on it. Don’t over exaggerate it, just find the logical middle ground.

5. Try to bond with your examiner

All you have is half an hour to impress him or her, so a good first impression is extremely important. Be open, be polite and if somewhere behind all those nerves you’re able to squeeze out a joke, do it. If you and your examiner have a good click then who knows, he might forgive you for that one small error you made…

6. Drive your own drive 

Sounds weird, I know, but this is one of the best tips my examiner gave me. “Don’t start driving differently just because I am sitting next to you. Trust your own instinct.” “Are you ready for a real Kiki-ride?” was my answer. Which made him laugh (see point above); and I broke the ice.

7. Whatever you do, stay calm

Clammy hands, sweaty armpits, an unstable heart rate, man, I had all of them. Before I started my exam I took a deep breath in and out about three times, went to the bathroom and then the only thing on my mind was: I’m just going to drive around for half an hour. Easy as pie. This really works.

8. Optimism will be your savior

Don’t let the first thought that crosses your mind when you make a slight error be: oh fuck it, I’m doomed. All that negativity will only increase your odds of failing. We’re not perfect, no one drives perfectly. If you can show them that you can fix that error in no time, then all will be a-okay. You can do this. And if you can’t, then I recommend starting up a savings account for taxis.