HELP: learning stick

hey all
i just got my final license today and i've bought an '03 GTi.

i'm just learning to drive stick, and i was wondering if you had any tips for learning stick or maintaining transmission quality. after one excursion, i feel as though i'll never be able to drive standard; yikes. :uhoh:

did any of you feel like this learning stick?
how long did it take you?
do you prefer it?

thanks guys; really appreciate it.

Hello. Do you have a VR6, 1.8T, TDI, or 2.0 8v?

If you have a VR6 I know from personal experience that the tranny and stock Clutch are pretty damn tough. Also a plus is that the stick is pretty forgiving you just have to point it in the general direction of gear you want to go into.

I pretty much learned to drive stick at a car wash while pulling cars in. The big thing is in city traffic. Yes it's a drag to learn how to do it. So how many times have you accidently peeled out? Also if you slowly let up on the clutch and don't even push on the gas the car will move forward slightly. This is useful on hills. That's called butterflying it. Anyway whatelse would you like to know?

Driving stick is not that hard to learn and after a few times out you will get it, and then after a few months it will be second nature to you. It took me a few hours to fully learn it with past experience, and I prefer stick way more than automatic because with stick, you have complete control over the car and its more fun and doesnt become boring.