Watch the RPM's as you learn to drive. After you get the hang of it you should just be able to listen to the engine and decide when to shift. If it feels like your car brakes and then sort of shoots forward in 1st gear, you need to feather the clutch...so add more gas and let out the clutch a little slower. And if you shift roughly in 2nd gear, just wait until atleast 3 k to shift.