One thing that I remember from learning long ago was that shifting quickly is NOT part of driving a manual at first. I remember thinking that doing it 'right' meant quick shifts between gears. It just complicated matters.
Practice your starts from a stop in a parking lot. I like the tip of watching the revs and modulating the gas pedal while you release the clutch, keeping it at about 1500 rpm.
For shifting, go SLOW at first. There is no need to shift quickly...it will just complicate things for you at first. So, get rolling in first gear. Then depress the clutch, let off the throttle, slowly shift to second, and slowly release the clutch and depress the throttle. It's like learning any other muscle memory task. If you can nail the technique slowly, you can speed it up as you learn it.
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