Learning to drive can be a nerve-racking and exciting time all wrapped into one but it is definitely worth attempting to pass your test when you are a student. You are able to begin your driving lessons at the age of 17 and for some people this will mean you can get behind the wheel whilst you are still studying. Learning to drive at this time can present a number of benefits and here are our top tips for student learner drivers.

Free time – whilst you are studying you have a certain amount of contact time to adhere to and added time for suggested self-study. Other than this, the time is yours to do as you please and lectures, workshops and tutorials tend to equate to just a few hours of your day. For this reason, you have much more time and flexibility to schedule driving lessons when you are a student in comparison to when you are working full time. What is more, when learning to drive as a student you will benefit from being able to book driving lessons during quieter times of the day when the roads aren’t as busy. This is a confidence booster, particularly when you are unfamiliar with driving on the road with other cars around.

An added advantage for job applications – being able to add to your CV and job applications that you have a full UK driving licence can be an added bonus when applying for jobs during and after university. For most roles, it is likely that there will be some sort of commute involved and longer journeys, to more remote locations, could require the need for a car and therefore a drivers licence. In addition to this, in certain industries and roles you may be asked to visit clients or potential customers in various parts of the country, at times with a company vehicle. If this were to happen, having the skills to drive would put you one step closer to securing employment.

Invest in your future – learning to drive can be costly, particularly at the age of 17 when you are first able to start. When you join university you will receive a student loan of some amount depending on your circumstances. There are not many times before university when you are granted with such a lump sum of money and this could be just the funding you have been waiting for to get on the road. There’s no denying that this money is important for other things such as living costs and equipment, although it is certainly a beneficial way to use the money given to you; especially if it is going to be of use to you in the future.

If you are studying at the University of Exeter and you are looking to take your driving to the next stage Cowley’s School of Motoring can help with that. If you would like to participate in fun, relaxed and quality driving lessons alongside your studies then please get in touch.