DriversEd.com teen blogger Jett Roberts, 16, is a student at Bishop O’ Dowd High School in Oakland, California. Jett is working toward obtaining his drivers license and currently drives under adult supervision with a California permit.
To start off, let me explain: Many people might think I don’t have an extremely busy schedule due to the fact that when I am in school, I only have one after-school commitment, however this engagement takes about 3 1/2 hours of time each and every day for months! Add this to the amount of homework I receive at a college prep school, and it doesn’t leave a lot of spare time for online drivers training, or even to practice driving now with my permit.
Using time management skills
During the school year I usually get home around 7 — 7:30p.m. every night, which is followed by at least an hour or two of homework (I think junior year is going to be even worse!). I had to fit in my work with DriversEd.com somewhere, so I used my weekends to consistently attack the challenge. Every Saturday morning for several weeks I scheduled drivers ed work between 10:30 a.m. and noon. To be honest, it took time that I would have rather spent doing things with my friends or sleeping, but I had to get it done, and I was motivated by the benefits of getting my license and learning to drive competently. This system worked out for me very well, and if you have a very busy schedule then I really suggest this method! Even better, if you have time during the week after school, set aside a specific mount of time each day for your online course, and drive whenever possible once you get your permit.
Still having schedule problems?
Even if you can only schedule in 30 minutes once or twice a week, write it in your diary or on your phone’s calendar and soon, you’ll be done! An alternative is to fit it into an already established break, such as Christmas, spring, or summer break. (I did this on my Boy Scout Eagle project and it worked — just carve out big sections of time for something important like learning to drive, or getting an Eagle project done!)
A few other pieces of advice:
- Make sure you take all of the practice tests given by DriversEd.com — they will be a huge help when you go to take the test at the Department of Motor Vehicles!
- If you live in a busy state like California, or maybe any state where the government is backed up and scheduled to the max, make sure you call in advance to set an appointment to take your test. Here, it takes at least a month to get on the schedule, so plan that in too, and you will be set!
So, just to go over my thoughts on getting DriversEd.com done, here is my advice:
- Schedule it into your week, either during the week after school a couple of days a week, or on the weekend, which is what I did. Write it on your calendar!
- Keep at it! If you consistently set aside time in your schedule, you will plow through the chapters and be successful.
- Don’t forget to make an appointment with the Department of Motor Vehicles to take your test for your permit. I recommended doing this at the halfway point through online drivers training, which will motivate you to keep at it to finish the course.
Good luck and happy driving!
Learn more about DriversEd.com :
- Visit DriverEd.com’s Distracted Driving Center
- Read “ How Does DriversEd.com Develop the Best Online Drivers Ed Courses ?”
- Parents: Enroll your teenager in DriversEd.com’s Online Teen Drivers Education