I've put many more miles on sticks than autos, had several sticks as DDs. Here are my tips:
1. Put in neutral but stay on the brake when stopped. Don't know why anyone wouldn't keep their foot on the brake at a light.
2. Find a parking lot with a hill, especially at a school or something where you can go on a weekend and practice with no one around.
3. If you have a little extra cash, go rent a stick shift box truck uhaul for a day. Seriously, drive one of those suckers around, practice on some hilss where you don't have to worry about your clutch. Then, you got the hills down with a much bigger vehicle with much worse clutch action and shifter feel, when you get back in your car you'll be amazed at how easy it will be.
4. Don't overthink it. Especially on hills, they really aren't any different than starting on the flat. Its when you start thinking about being on a hill that you get nervous, aren't as smooth, and it becomes an issue.
Also, don't listen to anybody tell you how to drive a stick if they grew up in FL
. Seriously though, some of the things I've heard:
"How does it feel having a stick and not having to keep your foot on the brake at a light?"
"Oh, hills are easy, you just rock back and forth until the light turns green" - this one I have actually seen on numerous occasions. I guess there aren't enough hills down here to learn properly. I grew up and learned how to drive a stick in Pittsburgh
