Driving a stick-shift can be both a great time and a pain in the pants. Believe it or not, I leanred to drive manual from the (ahem) "intrepid" Tred Barta. He took me (and his BMW) to a parking lot, and told me to watch, listen, and feel when he clutched and shifted gears. After a few times around the lot, he made me drive, but from a dead stop to 1st gear only. Then he said, "Now, try starting in second gear." Big difference. With your new car, you may find it easier to get going in 2nd as you'll be using a much higher rev and won't really need the low end unless you're on an up hill slope. At that point, try stopping and "balancing" the clutch and throttle to stay in one place on the hill. It takes some practice, but you'll be thankfull later on when you don't have to set your parking brake.