[Bristecom]

1) I would recommend just pushing the clutch in as you slow down, and stick it into the gear you need and slowly release the clutch (so that it doesn't jerk) before you turn so that you are in gear and don't have to worry about it in the turn. As you get better, you can practice rev matching which is good in those situations but that would be too stressful to learn from the start and you might screw up big time.

2) When reversing, I just take it super slow slipping the clutch and hardly use any throttle, if any. So reverse is mostly clutch action (easing in and out) and you have to be very gentle if you use throttle.

3) Slow down to a crawl, then accelerate slightly when going over them. This will minimize the chance of scrapping the front end. Don't brake as you cross over them.

Things I always tell people to keep in mind when learning to drive a manual:

- Only use first gear when stopped. Otherwise stay in second gear. In some cases you should use first if you're barely moving but most of the time 1st is just for setting off.

- Be suuuper gentle with the clutch and throttle. If you get too ancy with either, you will mess up. Also, there's no need to shift the shifter fast and hard. Some people shift so hard, you can hear it grind. Just be smooth and gentle with everything and it'll eventually feel more natural and you'll gain more speed while still being gentle on everything.

- Leave it in gear when cruising off throttle. Only take it out of gear when you need to (to prevent stalling). There is no advantage to taking it out of gear when moving and you'd be doing more harm than good.

And yeah, just give it time. It'll come to you. And it'll be much more fun and rewarding than an automatic. If you get good enough, you can even shift smoother than an automatic.