My Rollercoaster Ride with Debut Driving School
check_circlePros
- The instructors are super knowledgeable and patient - I was a total newbie, and they broke everything down for me.
- The theory classes were held in their classrooms, which are located at Eastern Street 52 and March 8th Street 194, both equipped with all the necessary learning materials.
- I loved the variety of locations for practical lessons - from the driving simulator to the racing track and training routes.
- The cost of the lessons was 19,900 rubles, which I thought was a fair value for money considering the quality of instruction.
- The staff is really helpful and accommodating - I had to reschedule a few lessons, and they were totally cool about it.
cancelCons
- The theory classes can be a bit dry, but I guess that's just part of learning about driving rules and regulations.
- The driving simulator can be a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's actually really helpful.
- I wish they had more flexible scheduling options - some days I had to choose between morning and afternoon lessons, and it was tough to fit both in.
- The medical certificate requirement can be a bit of a hassle, but I guess it's necessary for safety reasons.
- I had to bring my passport, SNILS, 4 photos, and a medical certificate to enroll, which was a bit of a pain, but I got it all sorted out in the end.
Editor's Summary
I've got a personal connection to Debut driving school - I actually went there for my driving lessons. The experience was a wild ride, but I'm glad I chose them in the end. I was super eager to learn how to drive, so I had to choose where to go. At first, I was thinking of going to Uralmash driving school, but since they didn't have a morning group, I kept looking. That's when I found Debut driving school online, which claims to be the first driving school in Russia for women, but they're not exclusive to women - they also teach young people. They offer lessons on both automatic and manual transmissions, and I chose the latter. From theory classes to practical lessons, I've got the inside scoop on what to expect.
Specifications
I've got a personal connection to Debut driving school - I actually went there for my driving lessons. I was super eager to learn how to drive, so I had to choose where to go. At first, I was thinking of going to Uralmash driving school, but since they didn't have a morning group, I kept looking. That's when I found Debut driving school online, which claims to be the first driving school in Russia for women, but they're not exclusive to women - they also teach young people. They offer lessons on both automatic and manual transmissions, and I chose the latter.
The theory classes were held in their classrooms, which are located at Eastern Street 52 and March 8th Street 194, both equipped with all the necessary learning materials. The practical lessons were held on a driving simulator, a racing track, and training routes (from Koska Russia at Vysotsky Street 14 or from the Diaghilev shopping center at Shvarts Street 17). I chose the Eastern Street 52 location.
You'll need to bring your passport, SNILS, 4 photos, and a medical certificate to enroll.
The cost of the lessons was 19,900 rubles, but you'll also need to pay for a medical checkup, which costs around 2,000 rubles at Debut driving school - I paid 1,600 rubles.
When I enrolled, they had me sign a contract for their services. You can see the contract below.
Contract for services (1)Contract for services (2)Contract for services (3)Contract for services (4)Excerpt from the order (attached to the contract)Every time I made a payment at Debut driving school, they gave me a receipt like this one.
Debut driving school receiptI needed to buy a textbook for the theory classes, but I couldn't find it in the bookstore, so I ended up buying it at the driving school (it costs 600 rubles). The book includes the following texts.
Theory Exam TicketsThemed Exam Tasks with CommentsRussian Traffic RulesThe theory and practical classes at the driving school were graded in academic hours (1 academic hour = 45 minutes).
I have to say, the theory classes were a breeze. The instructor knew her stuff inside out, and we'd do test questions at the end of each session to make sure we were on track. We also had homework assignments, and after completing the entire course, I passed the theory exam with flying colors. It was a no-brainer.
The practical classes, on the other hand, were a different story. We'd spend hours on the driving simulator, which was run by the school's accountant (yep, you read that right). She was a bit of a handful, to be honest - she'd yell and curse, and it was pretty uncomfortable to be around her. The driving school is located in Berezyovsky, and just getting there and back would take an hour. The practical driving lessons took place on the ZhBI, but the actual exam was held at Khimmash. And to make matters worse, a lot of my classmates didn't even make it to Khimmash before the exam. The instructor would often smoke in the car, ignore our questions during the driving lessons, and didn't even bother to check our technique on the simulator. I had to teach myself and figure out how to do the exercises online. The school's director also gave us an internal exam, which was a disaster - only a handful of us passed, and the rest of us had to retake it and pay extra (the retake fee was 1,000 rubles).
After passing the internal exam, you can pick up your driver's license, driver's card, and other documents if you don't plan on taking the exam with the driving school.
Driver's License CertificateDriver's License CertificateDriver's License CertificateAcceptance Certificate for Completed WorkDriver's Card I took the exam with a driving school, but it was a disaster. The car broke down on practical exams, wouldn't start, the seat wouldn't move, the mirrors wouldn't lower, and all sorts of things that could've earned the driving school extra cash. I mean, retaking the exam costs 3,000 rubles (1.5 hours of driving + exam accompaniment). Out of our group of 20, only one girl passed the exam at the DMV on the first try (that's 5% of us). I had to shell out a pretty penny to try again and again, but I never managed to pass the exam with this driving school. I ended up taking the exam in my hometown instead.
Treat yourself with love and be lovable!
Yours truly, Nastya.
