Manual and DD here. I got a manual at 16 and taught myself. I now love hills where I can practice my skills. The best way to avoid falling back is to be patient and work the clutch and hold your position with the clutch. As far as putting it in neutral at stop lights I would not recommend this. You need to be able to move quickly in case something happens. So having to shift to first and being a new manual driver is not a good mix. Also, cruising down the road with the clutch in is also a bad idea. The car should always be in gear when driving past 3 MPH. Lastly, don't worry about stalling, it takes practice. At 21, I'm near perfect. Stalling isn't an option
