After sorting things out, I finally enrolled myself to a PDC (practical driving course) at XCEL Driving School.
I chose to take the PDC at XCEL Driving School in Makati City because the location is accessible from my place, the branch representative Ms. Alma is easy to communicate with, and I already trust them because I did my TDC (Theoretical Driving Course) with them in the past.
I only took an 8-hour beginner course and thought I’d just add more hours as needed. Automatic car was my choice because I think that my differently-wired brain won’t be able to do its best driving a manual one. I took 2-hour driving sessions with XCEL for 4 days. After that, I chose to practice with my partner instead as he gave me more liberty to sharpen my driving skills in ways I learn best.
XCEL Driving School review
I will be sharing short information on each 2-hour driving session with XCEL. I will probably miss a lot of details, but I’ll try to add more later once I am able to go through my notes (I wrote down what I learn after each session, lest I forget about them).
Day 1 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:
The first day involved familiarization with car parts that you’ll have to be concerned about while driving, such as tire-check, side and rear view mirror check, and also getting the feel of car controls while you’re in the driver’s seat. The most important tip from the instructor was to:
Keep your eyes focused far ahead on the road. This gives you more time to anticipate and react to what’s happening up ahead, improving your ability to respond safely.
Day 2 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:
Based on my experience at XCEL’s 2nd-4th hours of driving lessons, I think the focus at this level was properly aligning one’s vehicle on the road and getting a better feel for controlling the vehicle. For me, the trick to alignment is — again, focus your eyes far ahead on the road, and do quick glances at side mirrors to see if your vehicle’s aligning to the road’s lines/markings.
I liked how “chill” this session’s instructor was. He mostly let me try things my way, although honestly I didn’t learn a lot of new things that day. Maybe that was the intention of XCEL driving school for this session — let the student be more confident behind the steering wheel, and then fine-tune the driving skills with a detail-oriented instructor on the next session! 😮
Day 3 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:
The instructor for XCEL’s 5th-6ths hours was, as I mentioned earlier, detail-oriented, and also kinda strict! It was uncomfortable how he sort of micro-managed my movements, but I’m not really complaining because I learned a lot from this person (and I am the oddball who has difficulty in learning things the “normal” way).
There were soooo many things that this session’s instructor taught me. From adjustment of the seat to make it more comfortable, various driving maneuvers, why going slow is best, etc.
My favorite tip from this session: Before making a turn, focus on where you want to go. Turn your head and direct your gaze toward that part of the road, looking through the side window if necessary. Keep turning the vehicle until the road you’re focused on comes into view through the front windshield.
Day 4 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:
My 7th to 8th hours of driving lessons with XCEL was mostly fine-tuning of driving skills. The instructor aimed to observe how well I was able to drive, and to correct each mistake that he noticed.
The instructor helped me practice the driving skill I sucked at the most — how much to turn back the steering wheel after making a turn. We drove countless times around blocks in the area until I got a better feel for it.
I was advised to wait for XCEL Driving School Makati’s representative to contact me regarding biometrics capture, and was encouraged to practice as often as I can. I finished and passed my 8-hour beginner driving course!
XCEL Driving School rates (Makati branch)
See below images for prices of PDC at XCEL Makati branch. These were the rates as of May 2024.
What’s next?
I’ve been practicing during my days off work, when I am able to. My partner says that I have improved significantly and that it’s likely that I will pass the LTO driving exam. Although I am not yet sure when I will give it a go, since that will require me to be on leave from work, and from what I hear, many applicants take a whole day to get through the entire process at LTO. 😫 The recent work days have been crazy! Well, maybe not “crazy” for other people, but I take it really seriously (maybe *too* seriously) so I have been spending a little more time and exerting extra effort. 💪🤖
Questions and Answers:
- Can student drivers practice in their own personal time without an accredited instructor?
- To be allowed to drive, the student must:
- Bring their LTO Student Permit including the Official Receipt as well as
- Be accompanied by a licensed professional or non-professional driver (XCEL instructors themselves told me that my partner, who has a driver’s license, is allowed to be my companion while I practice as a student driver).
- To be allowed to drive, the student must:
