My BBDC experience

Hi there!! I'm finally back blogging again!!! So I have been away from this blog for 2mths ++, simply because I have nothing much interesting to blog about! These 2 mths, all I have been busy with was work and driving...

In case you're curious what i'm working as now.., I'm currently working in a dental clinic. This job was introduced to me by my classmate cuz he used to work there before he enrolled into NS. I like my job there cuz the people are genuinely nice and the dentists are really friendly too!! The dentists ((Dr Audrey and Dr Chong)) taught me everything from scratch, including instruments and methods to do suctioning!! I must say I really learnt a lot during my short time there. And because of the friendly work environment, I'm still intending to work whenever I'm free when school starts :)

Okay, so anyways, tdy's blog will be about my driving experience in Bukit Batok Driving Centre. ((BBDC in short))

I took up Class 3 driving ((Manual car)). To be honest, one reason why I chose manual car was because all my friends and my cousins around me took up manual. HAHAHA. It was partially peer pressure. Another reason was because since the lessons ((Manual VS Auto)) are of the same price, why not take manual since manual licence has more advantages, such as driving overseas etc. But actually, my dad kinda scolded me for taking manual cuz he say nowadays cars all auto why must learn manual HAHAHA

I started enrolling into BBDC in late January 2017. Why BBDC? Because at that time, I didn't know "private driving classes" existed. ((Don't laugh at me ><)) Also partially because BBDC is near by house, only about 4 stops from my house's nearest bus stop.

However, I didn't really attended any lessons/take any tests in BBDC until early April because I was still working full-time at KKH then. Although it was a 5 days work-week job and office hours, I was still extremely tired and I couldn't find the motivation to go for theory classes in BBDC.

24 April 2017
I finally took my BTT. Passed on first attempt. TBH, BTT is really easy, just need to read through your book and you definitely can pass. Or if you are still afraid, you can always book theory practices at BBDC because the test questions will definitely be the same as those in the practice booklet.

As you know, after passing BTT, you will be allowed to take practical lessons once you applied for your Probational Driving Licence. (PDL) But for me, I didn't apply for the PDL until 12 May 2017 because there was not a single practical driving practice slots available until July. I was like "wts??? Must I really wait till July till I can have my first lesson???" So I ranted on my instagram spam account!!! It was then WenXin commented that I can take last minute slots/ try-sell slot that people cancel last minute!! So nice of her!! Because of her, I would stay in front of my computer screen and refresh the BBDC website every 1-2 minutes whenever I'm free. And indeed, I realise how everyday, there will definitely be people selling off their slots!! Finally, I had my first lesson on 12 May, afternoon, which was the day I decided to apply for my PDL before the lesson :)

12 May 2017
I had my first lesson, session 4, 1.20pm. I opted for non-peak slots because they are cheaper by $10. HAHAHA. Cheapo I am, but I can tell you, driving is really expensive. It aches my heart to see my money drain so fast. My first instructor was mr Ng. He's quite young and really nice. First lesson was supposed to be boring, like getting biting point ((for manual cars)) and moving forward and backward. But because I could get my biting point, he allowed me to drive around the circuit. I was really thrilled at that time and I looked forward to lessons hehe :) So after that lesson, I went over to the computers at BBDC to see if there were more slots that noon HAHAH. I was that fascinated and excited for more lessons hahahaha. And indeed, there were people selling their slots so I booked session 6 on the same day!! I practically attended 2 lessons on the same day hahaha.

It was during the practical practice period in which I also went for FTT practice. My KKH colleague used to tell me how FTT is so hard and how she failed 3 times for FTT. So I kinda developed a fear for FTT because true enough, when I read the FTT guide book, I understood NOTHING!!!! But because I'm a school student, I knew we have the privilege to book more theory practices than private students and I knew that the questions from the practices will be very similar/in fact the same as the actual FTT questions. So I booked FTT practices like mad. It was a total of 12 booklets of FTT practices for school students, equivalent to about 600 questions. I went for a total of 5 practices. 5 should be sufficient because by the end of the 5 practices, I could practically remember all the answers LOL.

25 May 2017
Took my FTT. Passed on first attempt. It was actually not as hard as I used to think it is because the practices actually help. The questions were almost the same as the practices. A tip, just go for the practices and remember roughly the answers. Sure pass. Don't need to understand also can pass. :)

Things went on as usual after passing BTT and FTT. Attended all the sessions as usual.

But during the course of learning, I met an instructor that I find it hard to forget....

He was so freaking strict!!!! Everything I do was wrong to him. From the start of the lesson till the end, he criticised non-stop. He would not just criticise, but kept asking me rhetorical questions. He scolded me for leaving my left leg off the clutch when I'm at gear 1. Although technically it isn't not wrong, he scolded me for it. He scolded me for leaving my leg off the brake when stopping at traffic light. He even scolded me for driving too slowly. I drove at 30km/h at a 70km/h road because I was scared, really scared cuz it was only my 2nd time on the main road. At that point, I didn't understand his intentions because it was only my 5th lesson in BBDC and all I learnt was driving within the lane, without even learning how to look at the mirrors etc etc. So I felt offended cuz I thought I was great at gear changing HAHAHAH. <<< overly confident Faye. He nagged non-stop that I was so pekchek, I didn't speak a single word from start till end. I could feel myself on the verge of scolding him back but I controlled cuz I was scared I will meet him again in future since it was only my 5th lesson!!!

27 June 2017
AND TRUE ENOUGH, I met him again... You know at which lesson??? During my EVALUATION lesson!!!! WHAT IN THE WORLD!!! In case you do not know, BBDC has this compulsory "EVALUATION" test thing before all actual tests. ((including BTT and FTT)) It works like how you have "PRELIMS" in school before all national exam.

When I saw him during EVALUATION, I was like "omgomg lucky last time never scold him or talk back to him." But it was then I realise how his scoldings actually made me improve. I understood his rationale of not letting your left foot off the clutch at gear 1 after learning the circuit courses and I understood why right leg must be on the brake at traffic junctions. But still, I was not happy with his constant naggings and scoldings the previous time when I was still so new to driving. He could have explained them NICELY!!!! So me being me, a virgo in me, I wanted to prove to him that I have improved and I CAN DO IT.

Circuit courses were surprisingly all OK but I rushed cuz I was nervous. My low speed control still wasn't that good yet but I managed to clear all the courses successfully so I kinda left him speechless. It was only during vertical parking that my car wasn't really that straight and he started death-staring me and asked me "like this ah?" Then I started to feel scared again cuz idw him to keep on nagging, super irritating!!!!! Then my left leg shivered on the clutch for a while cuz I was scared!!! T_T  But I did corrections and he said "okay". LOL. So evaluation ended well, and I passed it!!!! HAPPY I PROVED HIM WRONG!!!!

But I think he's that kind of strict instructor who doesn't give praises. I genuinely think I drove well that lesson, but he still gave some minor critical comment. I don't mind not being praise and being criticised, so long he doesn't constantly nag because I will be super irritable if I'm driving and someone keeps distracting me at the side.

I booked my TP on August 2nd, 2.50pm, session 7. Why Aug 2nd? No particular reason actually but Aug 2nd is a memorable date for me because it was the date I took part in a science competition with my team in sec 2 and we won third prize. So I thought, Aug 2nd may be my lucky date hahahaha. Chose session 7 cuz I think this timing will have less cars on road and less students(?)

28 July 2017
5 days before TP. I met a horrible instructor. NIGHTMARE of my life. It started off all well until he started commenting that I didn't check my blindspots when I did. Many times I checked, he said I didn't. I felt so unjustified so I just told him I did. I think he felt offended that I talked back, so he claimed that I either checked too early or too late. What bull$hit!!!! Previous instructors even told me F2F that my blindspots checking are ok/good. He was busy fiddling with his stuff and he didn't see so he said I didn't check. Ok, nvm 大人不计小人过. I decided not to find fault with him le but I was pekchek by then alrdy cuz I merely justified myself and he felt offended??????

Then when we went back to the circuit, near the bend, he asked me to lane change to park back the car at area F-K. By right, bend not suppose to lane change. Furthermore, on my right lane, it was crowded with cars so it was hard for me to lane change. So I asked him, "go in ah? park the car?" And he said "ya". I saw a space, between 2 cars on my right lane, sufficient for a car, and I decided to just squeeze in since the car at the back stopped. I know it wasn't proper lane change cuz i'm not supposed to just steer the wheel abruptly to go to the next lane. But because I asked him whether to park, and he said ya, so I did it. And guess what he did? I steer in, he SLAMMED the brake. Then he asked "are you supposed to do this? Can you lane change like that?" -Rolls eyes- I couldn't wait to get out of the car alrdy by then.

After we parked the car, he 'debriefed' me. I wasn't in the mood to listen to him cuz I felt that he wasn't so competent as an instructor and was super discouraging as an instructor when my TP is only 5 days away.

He asked me "what do you think about your driving today?". In my heart I know his answer to me will be "terrible" because of all his criticisms, both for right and wrong reasons. However, I genuinely think my driving was not too bad, but it was turned bad because of him. So I replied "I think its still okay."

So he asked me "Do you know want to hear my comments from the bottom of my heart?"

At that point, I just say yes. I wanted to hear how bad his comments will be. And TADA, he gave all sorts of criticism. He end off by saying, "You think your driving is not bad? But for the road segment of the test, you will still FAIL!!"

Such a discouraging instructor. To be honest, after his comments, I really thought I will fail because some of his criticisms made sense, such as me rushing in the circuit. ((although I didn't mount kerb/strike kerb)) But him saying that I will fail because of road segment, I felt that it was just a personal attack because even though I rushed in the circuit during that practice, I didn't mount/strike kerb so he couldn't criticise me much about the circuit portion.

And because his point of me rushing in the circuit was quite true, I decided to just ask him, "did i really rush that much in the circuit?" It was a genuine question but he took it as me being defensive????? Then his criticism comes again, "Why are you so defensive? You know you will fail?" etcetc. At that point, I just couldn't be bothered anymore so I just replied, "It was a genuine question. I'm not even trying to be defensive here." Then I think he super pekchek, give me some bull$hit replies that I cannot remember. At the end of lesson, I still thanked him nonetheless. But I was super demoralised that whole day and for 5 days straight, I was super nervous about TP.


31 July 2017
Booked my last revision 2 days before the actual TP, because 1 day before will be too stressful if the driving was bad. My instructor for my last revision was also the instructor for my first ever practical lesson in BBDC!!! He is honestly much more encouraging than the previous one I mentioned. I gained more confidence from this last revision because circuit was done well, road was okay too.

2 August 2017
Warm-up time: 1.45pm
Test time: 2.50pm

I felt that I had a 50% chance of passing but I was really unconfident of passing because of that one discouraging instructor. I didn't even bring my own passport photo and I was quite prepared to fail. The whole day, I kept psycho-ing myself to be calm, and kept psycho-ing myself that I can do it. 1 hour before warm-up, I even told those who were talking on whatsapp to stop talking to me, and that I will text them after the test. HAHAHA.

When I'm under stress and wants to cool down, I don't like to talk to anyone. Not even my closest friend. I would just keep quiet and think through things myself.

I didn't even talk to the warm-up instructor the whole time because I was really stressed and focused HAHAHAH. Warm-up went fine. No strike kerb, no mount kerb. All circuit courses went fine.

Went to the waiting area for the tester. At about 2.20pm, the tester went "Lim ying!!! Lim Ying!!!!" I didn't know he was calling me cuz people usually call me Faye!! Then after a few secs, I realise it's me so I ran over LOL. Then he asked me "how do I pronounce your christian name? Fa-ye?" LOL. I bursted out laughing. "No la, Fei".

Ok basically, that was the only thing we conversed. After that, no talking at all. Sit in car, adjust seat and start. I was surprisingly calm. The whole test, all he said was "left" and "right" and "ok, out" while all I said was "ok". HAHAHA.

Circuit all went fine. Really thank the BBDC instructors coaching learner drivers for giving way to test cars!!!

But I got a shock from parallel parking because before I even adjusted my car fully straight, he said "ok, go." I haven't even neutral, handbrake yet!!!! I was so shocked that I thought I mounted kerb or what. So I was like "go out ah???" and he said "ya."

Then when I was about to go out of bbdc, near the slope there, he suddenly use his pen to lightly tap the dashboard!!! I was wondering if that tap was accidental or asking me to do Ebrake lolllll. My reaction was a little slow but I still did Ebrake nonetheless. Thankfully he didn't penalise me for being slow because it could have given me an immediate failure!!!!

On the road, I was lucky I didn't get teckwhye lane because manual car drivers will hate that route!! Full of slopes and crowded like mad!!! I got the usual U turn route at bukit batok. Tbh, I'm also not very confident with the U turn route at Bukit batok because u need to lane change many times and that route sometimes also a lot of vehicles!! But I still did it confidently nonetheless. I'm really thankful because after the U turn, the traffic behind was red so there was no cars, which means easier for me to lane change to the left!!!! And after the lane change left, he told me to turn right, which means I need to lane change right again. Although there were many vehicles while I was lane changing to the right, I'm thankful one of the vehicle actually slowed down and allowed me to lane change by speeding up. I'm really thankful!!!!

By the end of the test, I was alrdy zoned out and in a daze. I couldn't believe I finished TP test!!!!

Tester: ok, switch off engine
Me: ok

After telling me to switch off the engine, he just walked off with his bag and he totally threw me alone in the car without telling me where to go!!!! I was like omg? Did I fail or smth. I went back to sit down at the waiting area in the office LOL. I started texting those I was texting an hour before the test!!! I ended the test at about 2.50pm which was supposed to be my test start time hahaha.

Then the tester finally came with the slip of paper. I was using phone at that time when he saw me then he was like "wah, use phone ah? Always using phone ah?" I was like oh shit why he so scary. Did I really fail that's why even when I use phone he also want to scold HAHAHA. I guess I was just being paranoid because when he handed me the slip.....

IT WAS A PASS!!!!!! I PASSED WTS.

Then I went on to see the demerit. OMG 2 DEMERITS!!! WHAT ON EARTH. 做梦都不会想到得两分！！ Remember how that discouraging instructor criticised me???? How is 2 demerits even possible....????? Even 14 demerits could have felt impossible given my state...

I couldn't be happier and my eyes were red by then. So touched!!! Such a touching moment for someone who was told that she will face failure!!!! I was really in disbelief and I was questioning myself, "was it that the tester was really lenient and nice? or was it that I really proved the instructor wrong????" 

Anyways, I must really credit the tester. He was really nice but had to act strict HAHA. Cuz after that, I asked him if I can apply the licence another day since I had photographs at home alrdy. Then he asked me "huh? You never bring your photographs ah? You not confident you will pass meh?" He even asked me go down take photo for licence. Then he jokingly asked me if I isit no money to take new photos LOL. Then he say got money just take downstairs cuz the lady will take nicely HAHA.

Yayyyyy end of BBDC story!!!! I'm really happy that I dunnid to go back there again because driving is really expensive and I need money!!!! The TP test itself is alrdy $255. Thank you friends and family members for your support and congratulatory note!!! I thank my dad for financially supporting my driving classes!!!!

To others taking TP test, I hope that you all will get a nice tester too because it is really important to have a nice tester after reading through those driving forums on how some people are really unlucky to get those "infamous" testers who fail people unreasonably!! Also, try to keep calm because I really see how being calm can help!! Just keep psycho-ing yourself to be calm on your TP day! :)

Best of luck!