Last week, TY students went to Maynooth in Kildare where they participated in driving lessons. They arrived in Maynooth and were split into two groups, one group got to drive the cars first, the other group went to practice the theory test.
Before starting, the students were asked to separate themselves into groups of three, and they were then assigned a car and an instructor. The three students each took turns to drive the car. While driving, the instructor ensured that the students were comfortable with driving by telling them what to do and by asking them various questions about driving. After each student had their turn, the instructor gave some feedback by giving the students marks based on their driving. After every student had tried driving the car, the groups then swapped over.
While one group was driving, the other group practised their driving theory. One of the instructors stayed with them while they completed the theory test. The students stayed in the groups they were in while they were in the car, and as teams, they answered the forty questions. The questions were examples of the real theory test and the students had to get thirty-five or above to pass. Very few teams passed on the first try, but as the game was repeated, the scores began to increase and after three turns, most teams had passed.
The instructors gave out free driving lessons to the students that had the best score after driving. Well done to Ciaran Lyons and Alanna France, the lucky victors!
The students learned about the different road signs and what they mean from the theory test as well as other useful information like how far to stay back from another car, how rain affects the car and driving etc. They also learned the basics of driving, including how to use the pedals, what each pedal does, how to change gears and much more from this experience. Overall the experience was very enjoyable and educational for all of the Transition Year students, as every student learned a great deal from the whole experience.
The students all had a great time at Drivers Education and would definitely recommend it to future TY students!
Written by TY Journalism students Eoin Brehony and Ciara Kavanagh