The student fresh out of Driver’s Ed gets in the driver’s seat, hands slightly shaking. He takes the car out of park after checking his mirrors and begins his first real drive. 

There are many Drivers Ed schools in the Greenwood area, but some may work better than others, depending on the student. 

“I went to Drivetime Academy. I got my permit before finishing Drivers Ed, but I think it helped me learn a lot more about really driving on the streets and road signs,” sophomore Cecilia Lukins said. 

Other driver schools teach students everything that they need to know for the permit test. 

“I went through Franklin Roadskills. They taught a lot about road rules but not much about actually driving. It taught enough for me to be ready for the permit test, though,” freshman Lilah Shay said. 

Each Drivers Ed school has a different way to put their students out on the main road with instructors. 

“There are six one-hour drives with each individual route that goes over a different skill set. For example, the first goes over drive control while the fourth and fifth is going on highways,” Mr. James Clouse, Driving Academy instructor, said. 

There are lots of driving schools near Greenwood, but enrolling in one with the best teaching is key. 

“We have been doing this for over 35 years and are well knowledgeable on everything we do. We fine-tune things and try to improve,” Mr. Clouse said.

Most students who have driven with their parents before know the situation can get tense. A professional could ease that tension.

“I’ve only driven with my mom, but I think it’ll be easier with an instructor because my mom distracts me while I’m driving,” sophomore Bella Kelsey said. 

Working with parents on driving can be difficult. Lukins has gone with both parent and instructor. She agrees with Kelsey that parents tend to make things more intense. 

“I liked doing the session with the instructor more because my parents stressed me out a lot,” Lukins said. 

While driving with parents is hard, the unfamiliarness with an instructor could make students nervous for their drives.

“So far, I’ve only driven with my parents. I think it’ll be harder with an instructor because I don’t really know them,” Shay said. 

It can be difficult to begin driving with lots of things to look out for, but driving defensively is a vital skill. 

“The most important thing for a new driver or an experienced driver is to drive defensively and have that as a mindset. You have to be looking out for other people, going the speed limit, and keeping a good following distance,” Mr. Clouse said. 

Driving is a really hard skill for beginners to get a handle on. 

“The hardest part for me was focusing on myself but also focusing on what other people are doing,” Kelsey said. 

After covid, online courses became a lot more prominent in Drivers Ed.

“I did it online. For me, it might have been better to do it in person because I procrastinated doing my work a lot,” Shay said. 

Although online learning may seem efficient, in reality, it is taking students longer to complete the course.

“I went online and in person. I preferred going in person because I understood what they were telling me a lot more,” Lukins said. 

“Learning how to parallel park was really hard. The instructor took me on two one-hour long drives, so it took me about two hours to figure out how to park the car correctly,” 

Local driving places include the Driving Academy where pricing is $45 for online and $375 for online and drives. Drivetime Academy is $55 for online and also $375 for online and drives. Drivezone has packages that include online and drives that start at $359.