Good for you for wanting to get over this hump. I'm one of the best drivers on the road, but I failed my road test the first time. And just for the record, I took the test at the same time as my girlfriend and she passed first time out and is a horrible driver! She had her first accident within a week of getting her license. So don't let the failure be an obstacle.

You know what you need to do. Practice, practice, practice, then just make the appointment. Just do it. My father used to tell me that the only way to become a good, comfortable driver is to get out there and do it. And unfortunately, that means actually driving the car out on the road. But you're driving with a permit, so you are driving.

I say just make yourself do it. Then practice as much as you can until the day of. You can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us know how it goes, alright?

GOOD LUCK

Just practice. Advice: "Don't worry about the person driving behind you. They have to worry about you. You just focus on the guy in front." The guy behind you has to worry about YOU braking, not the other way around. Just like you have to watch out for the person in front braking or driving wrong. Don't worry about driving because once you get used to it, you'll love it.

Listen! You can do it!!
Did you take a driving class or some type of driving school training?
This will build up your confidence.
Keep going to school year round until you accomplish your goal.
I hope you employer has tuition assistance, another option if your an adventurous person is joining the Reserves. I recommend the Air force or Coastguard. This will really help you pay for your education, and make you independent.
Myself and a good friend did this to complete our degrees. I actually had a friend who joined the Air force on active duty at 25 years old and she stayed in, traveled and enjoyed it for 6 years and met her husband in the Air force.
Now this option is not for everyone, it just depends on how much your ready to leave your parents home.
You can also go to your college financial aid office and apply for educational loans or scholarships.
Keep driving and good luck with finishing school. Keep an open mind and your options open.

during my driving test i turned left when he said turn right...whoops! its ok! you can do it.

something that always helps me when i feel insecure is i tell myself to "Fake confidence"...somehow acting like i am confident actually helps me feel confident. you have to build yourself up to pretend that you are and in doing that you will think of everything about you that you do well.

Also, if you can, go practice driving in an empty parking lot. Once you get past this hump, driving becomes second nature. you can do it!

Push yourself and believe in yourself, never doubt nor limit yourself!

I was soo scared the first time, all i could think of was the negative and the "what ifs", i use to push it back all the time because of my fear of what may or may not happen and not believing that i could do it! My mum actually push me for the last time and i decided to do it and not give up, i failed the written by one point but went the second and passed,i doubted myself the first time and picked the wrong answer, if only i had trusted my instinct. But i started my driving lessons, didnt do it before i was ready, got a great,patient driving instructor, stopped doubting myself, knew i learn all the right stuff, and the day of the test i just took a deep breath and kept thinking "You know what you're doing, act like it"lol, and i passed! it was great! You Will ACHEIVE the SAME too!!

"People who inspire others are those who see invisible bridges at the end of dead-end streets."
- Charles Swindoll

don't beat yourself up about it, i'm 24 and don't have mine yet (i need to get my ass motivated!)
i actually am living out on my own and without a car and trust me, you want to wait to have a car before you move out. i didn't have a choice, but it sounds like you do.

best of luck to you

I'm 24 also and I've been out of work for 9 months since graduating with my Master's. I've been doing all the right things my whole life by going to school and working hard, but I find myself feeling disillusioned with my accomplishments and my future too.

And for the record, I've had my license since I was 16 and passed my test with flying colors. But my family still doesn't let me drive and like to drive for me as far as the market down the corner! And now that I live in NYC I hardly ever drive so when I visit my family I feel less confident in my abilities as well. So I'm still trying to fight for my independence sometimes too. Hang in there, just take the plunge, and take little steps in making changes in how independent you are.

Hey, I bet you'll do just fine - especially now that you've been driving for 2 years on a permit!!

Here's a motivator:

I have a sister-in-law who is 34 years old and hasn't gotten hers yet ... and it's so hard on her. She's home all the time with the kids when her hubby's at work or is too tired to go out. It's hard because she can't get a job because she can't get there. (We live in a rural area.)

If you really want it, bite the bullet and take the test. The worst that can happen is you don't pass and in that case, you practice more and take the test again. If you've been practicing for a couple years, Im sure you are more than ready, you've just got to find the strength to get over your mental block.
Im sure you can do it! =]

I get terrible nerves when going for interviews or when I did my driving test. My biggest tip is "Resuce Remedy". It's completely natural and works! It totally settles your nerves.

http://www.amazon.com/Nelson-Bach-USA-Rescue-Milliliter/dp/B00012NCSY

The written test can be difficult. It has questions like how many feet before you make a right turn do you need to put on your signal. No one can really guess that. You have to KNOW. They might have a booklet that they can send you with the information you'll be tested on, so make sure to get the material ahead of time.

Also, maybe you should take an honest friend for a drive and have them watch you like a hawk and tell you if/when you screw up. That might help you for your nerves when the test is actually real.

Anyway, my hunch is that you are putting quite a lot into this, and that if you don't pass you are going to give up. So my main advice is that if you don't pass, just really figure out what you did wrong, work to fix it, and keep on going. I knew people who took the test 6 times before passing!!

Good luck.

Everyone goes through this when they first start to drive. Lucky for me I took a driving course at a local certified driving learning office. Having a professional driver really challenged me and helped me get over the fear of driving. After that, I practiced with my mom until I took my test the day I graduated (I waited until I was 18 to avoid new California driving laws)

As for the physical test, try to stay calm, the more nervous you are the worse you will do. Tell the instructor you are nervous and I am 90% sure they will understand. They deal with this ALL the time.

But you have to conquer this fear. You are 24 year old sweetie. You cannot rely on your parents for the rest of your life.

Well, honey if you lived in New York you would fit right in. I had a similar problem when I was in my twenties, I had a license but it kept getting suspended because I would forget to pay the parking tickets. So I stopped driving for a while, paid the fines, got my license restored and then moved to the country where I had to drive which made me more appreciative about the right I had to drive. Now. Once you make up in your mind that you want to do better then it will be done. Analyze your daily habits and see where you can change little stuff then medium stuff then big stuff. Maybe you are not obtaining the license because once you do then you will not be so dependent on your parents, and that will make you kind of grow up a little. Just a thought, no harm. I was very dependent on my folks for a long time even after I had a child but I got tired of them bailing me out of every little financial jam and once I made up in my mind that I was going to do this thing alone everything fell in place with help from God prayer and my daughter because everytime I thought about messing up I thought about her.
So make up in your mind that you can do it and stick to it.