Full Driving Licence Of New Zealand example essay topic
Because it is expensive and hard to park a car in city, so it is no use for me to buy a car. It is very convenient to take a bus to university. Having completed semester 1 in 2003, I transferred to Massey University to study diploma in business studies. Massey University is situated in north shore of Auckland where it is inconvenient to commute by bus, so I decided rent a room in north shore and then buy a car.
It is lucky that I rent a single room, which is situated in 1-270 Beach haven road, Beach haven in north shore. My landlord Linda is kind, warm-hearted Chinese woman. her family have been here many years and she is now studying BACK in Massey. She everyday drives her car to Massey, having got full driving licence of New Zealand for two years. I have a driving licence in China, but a long time I have not driven a car. There are great differences about driving between in China and in New Zealand. The structure of a car and road driving codes are different.
In China the steering wheel in a car is at left, all driver must keep on the right-hand side of the road when driving, but in New Zealand all these everything are opposite: the steering wheel is at right and you must Drive on left-hand side of the road. I just bought a second-hand car, which is Honda Civic, produced in 1990. At the beginning I found it difficult to decide what should I select to learn for 114.242 Assignment one "day of learning". But in fact I felt the very anxious thing for me is to drive a car easily and safely. I have not done any part-time job since I immigrated to New Zealand. Linda and my other friends with same background with me have done part-time job for a long time.
Now I have no car, can't go to do part -time job, only support myself on student loan. I would like to do part-time job just like Linda. Because doing part-time job not only makes money to support myself, but also Make me familiar with local society life and practise my spoken English. So due to many reasons, driving a car soon is my most important thing now. Since I arrived in Auckland, I have not driven a car. Although I have passed the theory test about the official road codes for car drivers and answered all 35 questions correctly.
I am still nervous when I really want to drive a car in New Zealand. I just bought a car and moved to north shore not long, everything is nearly strange, not familiar with road here. But now I must drive a car safely to make a living and go to university. Although there are still great challenges to me.
Another reasons are that I must pass the full licence practical road test by 27 Oct. 2003. Because I have been here 1 year by then, otherwise my Chinese driving licence would expire. I have only to pass restricted driving licence. Now I may get a full driving licence if I can pass the practical road test. So there is an answer to my problem, my day of learning was decided-I would to learn to drive a car soon. Objectives The objectives behind the day of learning are to review all driving skills and become a safe and skilled driver in New Zealand that will: Go to Massey university to take my course everyday Go to do some part-time job suitable for me to support myself, feel being independence and contact more about local life society and widen my insight.
Prepare to pass my full licence practical test of New Zealand by 27 Oct. 2003. Goal My goal is to learn to drive a car in Auckland to a standard, which at first safely drive to and from university, the venue where I would do part time job, supermarket and other life necessary place and eventually pass the full driving licence of New Zealand. Coach I asked my landlord Linda to coach me, because she is a kind, warm-hearted quiet woman, and have got a full driving licence of New Zealand, Before coaching me she wanted to know what was required of her, so we reviewed the notes pertaining to partnership coaching together to make sure we both knew well on what was involved, and she then told me she would glad to help. PLANNING THE DAY OF LEARNING It was first thing that I should familiar with the car just bought from car fair. Firstly I must check the car exterior: body of the car, tyres including the spare, wheel nuts, lights and windscreen. Under the bonnet: check oil, water, windscreen washer bottle, and battery and automatic transmission fluid.
Inside the car: to check tools, hand brake, gear lever, warrant of fitness and licence label, horn, windscreen wipers, safety belt, steering, foot brake to look for that they are in good working order. When I have seated in my car, there are some important checks and actions I should carry out before I move off to ensure a safe and hassle-free journey. Adjust the seat and steering wheel, the mirrors, check all doors are shut but unlocked, check all controls (egg heater, demister, indicators, wipers etc) to make sure they are in the correct position. Check the safety belt and check that your car has enough fuel for my journey. Secondly I should adapt to New Zealand's right steering wheel and road codes of driving on the left-hand side of the road. To familiar the road on the map.
Review all kinds of driving skills: moving off, moving off uphill, moving off downhill, stopping, making all emergency stop, practise in nearby quiet street: motorway driving, passing, reversing and three-point turns, parallel parking. Thirdly I follow the map to drive to Massey University. Linda took me to Massey by her car a lot of times. I may remember the route. This time I would like she sit in my Car to look if I can drive her to Massey.
Then I have to practise to drive back to our house. Lastly I would drive to Glen field shopping mall and Northport shopping mall. The log of the day learning REFLECTION AND LEARNING I think my day of learning was well balanced. The preparation and planning of the day of learning is very necessary.
In the day of learning I review some old driving skills but important I learned many new skills such as: 1. Learn to check under the bonnet. Although I can drive a car but I have never check under the bonnet, because once there is problem with my car, I used to ask for mechanic for checking and don't need to pay too much. But in New Zealand if you want to ask mechanic for repairing, you must pay too much for a small problem.
So you'd better do your best to do it yourself. It is very important you know everything of your car. 2. Learn to drive on the left-hand side of road, steering a car in right chair.
On these aspects there are bigger difference. I used to steer the car in the left chair and drive on the right-hand side of road. But in New Zealand all these are opposite. I have to change my old habit to adjust to new regulation. At the beginning I found it difficult. These bring me challenges, which at the same time give me pressure.
Someone maybe think these small things, but this thing reminds me of other thing. I feel in fact change your old habit is not easy which need you pay the price and you must have courage. Especially for those who have had steady work and comfortable life in China, just immigrated to New Zealand and met many new unexpected life problems. I knew I must challenge myself to take my courage to develop my potential, which I maybe have yet known. 3. Staying calm is very important.
Since I came to New Zealand, I have not driven a car. It has been about nine months. I just bought the car, not completely familiar with everything of it, and I have not been familiar with north shore roads, pulsing there are many difference about driving between China and NZ. I still felt nervous to drive a car in New Zealand firstly. After a few hours of practising in Quiet Street, I found out the some feeling. I started to be a little bit confidence, which make me continue on to complete my day of learning.
4. The ability of checking the route in map is very important, especially for those who just been New Zealand from overseas. If you check map very familiarly, you cannot be lost in anywhere in New Zealand. The distribution of roads in New Zealand is different from in China; it is very similar between roads in New Zealand. You often drive wrong routes.
So you must take map with you everyday and everywhere. 5. Don't forget to fasten my seatbelt when driving. It is different from in China, at the beginning I am not used to it, always forget about it. So I must beware about it carefully. 6.
The day of learning not only developed my capability in driving a car in New Zealand, but also gives me confidence in living in New Zealand independently. 7. There are great potential in ourselves, only we have no chance to find them out. So we should challenge ourselves, conquer our fear to strange things. An old saying goes like this "yourself is your biggest enemy". you never know what you can do till you try".
To drive my own car in New Zealand demonstrated that I can live in New Zealand independently, this bring me a great confidence. I no longer always to ask other's helps. 8. I like the feeling of doing something myself, when I don't know how to continue on, I ask for someone's help. I don't like being told to do something. I'd like to try sth myself.
Sometime I have to pay the price for it in doing so, such as wasting a lot of time and money. This is disadvantages. But sometime doing so can develop my abilities. I do like to challenge myself.
When you conquer yourself, you can't express your happiness in language. That stands for your capability. The day of learning made me realize that I am always lazy and don't want to change. But once there are pressure on me because of some reasons, my capability of coping with change is strong. My potential can't display until it is be pressed. This is my new find.
After completing this assignment, I will change my old concept, endeavour to.