[Bstone4]

we were all noobs at one time or another, we didn't just come out of the womb knowing exactly how to do it. I know for sure that I didn't anyway, some people may just be freaks of nature lol

Anyway, its like the old saying goes "Practice makes perfect" Just keep doing man, I have said this before in other threads and ill say it here to you, the best way to learn is when you have to. I was thrown the keys to one years ago to be a DD, had to get it figured out quick. Its the best thing when its the only option you have.

It'll all come to you, and in a few months it'll be second nature and you'll wonder how you ever thought it could of been so hard. For me when I was getting the hang of having my first manual that I drove everyday was the rev-matching and trying to figure out what gear to be in, like is this a 2nd or a 3rd gear turn. You just have to judge off your speed. The great thing about the SI is that its got so much torque on the low end that if its a 2nd gear turn and you're still in 3rd, you have the power to still make it happen pretty fluidly. This is just something that will take time.

One thing at a time though, get those shifts smooth, a little slower on the clutch and a little less gas will stop the jerkiness. Just don't stay on the clutch to long, but make it a smooth release. You'll get it.

As far as slowing down is concerned, if its a stop light, clutch in, neutral, clutch out and roll with the brake in to come to a stop, if your just slowing down because of traffic, just see how fast your going before you start giving gas again, clutch in downshift to an appropriate gear and clutch out. This may work for you it may not, but for me to start getting the hang of what gear I'm suppose to be in, I watched my speed. I figured out that first was only meant to be from a stop, to get me rolling again, if I'm rolling its 2nd. So for instance, if I'm between 5-20MPH, I'm grabbing 2nd, 21-30, 3rd. 31-40, 4th, 41-50, 5th and above 50 its 6th, unless I need the speed to get around, then its a downshift to 5th, get going and back to 6th.

That'll maybe help you out for what gear to be in based on your speed until you start to get the feel and hang of everything. Like I said, I know it worked for me.

But, good luck, it takes time, like someone else said even veterans mess up. We're not all perfect. Its a learning curve, just keep practicing, trying new things, you'll get it, then you'll be like the rest of us, just kind of doing it brainlessly just because we know how the engine sounds where we're supposed to be.