Steps to Staying Awake During Driver's Ed

Driver’s Ed - what comes to mind when you hear those words? For me, it’s a single thought: ugh. Driver’s education is a 30 hour classroom course, along with six hours of in-car experience. But all teenagers hoping to get their licenses have to take it; so, I decided to get it over with as soon as possible. Now, without further ado, I present to you: Alexa Freedman’s Steps to Staying Awake During Driver’s Ed:

Step One: Plan Ahead

As soon as my mother told me she’d signed me up for Driver’s Ed, I knew that there was no way I was going to head into that class without one of my best friends at my side. So, I grabbed a good friend, and signed her up with me! Later, coincidentally, we found out that two of our other friends were signed up for the same class as us!

Step Two: Caffeinate

I knew that eight hours of sitting in a Driver’s Ed classroom wouldn’t bode well for my consciousness, so I started my day with a large glass of home-brewed iced coffee. Most of the others in the class showed up with coffee as well.

Step Three: Take Advantage of Every Break

The school I participated in luckily gave us ten-minute breaks every hour or so, and a half-hour long lunch. Every time, my friends and I rushed out of the classroom to get some fresh air, and maybe a sweet treat. We loaded up on sugar from Sugar Benders Bakery and yummy (caffeinated) drinks from Starbucks Coffee, soaking up every last minute of the breaks!

Step Four: Meet the Other Kids!

Since Galloway students made up five of the seven students in the Driver’s Ed class, we made an effort to talk to the other two who we didn’t know. Knowing people and having friends there definitely made the class more enjoyable (rather, easier to get through), and harder to fall asleep.

Step Five: Repeat!

As you’ll have to be in class for four days, make sure you follow each of these steps every day! You’ll be glad when it’s over, but hopefully these tips will make your experience a little bit better.

By Alexa Freedman