One thing that is not mentioned here is that each car is slightly different, and that is even more true for stick-shift cars. The throttle response of the engine, the “personality” of the clutch, and many other little things make it nearly impossible to give a “one size fits all” answer.
For instance, most cars cannot take off in 3rd gear, especially not going up a hill, yet my ‘89 Golf could do exactly that, if you held the revs at a certain point and let out a little slower than normal on the clutch. However, when I tried to use the same techniques in my ‘90 Civic that I did in that Golf, I wound up chirping the tires nearly every time I took off from a stop and I never dared trying a third-gear launch even on level ground.
I will say that you seem to have the basics down though. But my point is that you probably will make a few mistakes no matter what we tell you. I’ve driven quite a few sticks in my day, but the last time I drove my roommates car, I got that kind of wrong due to unfamiliarity with that car’s unique characteristics.
@Cruiser Mostly correct, though I question the part about “just above idle speed”. Then again, that may be just because I had one car where that was a recipe for stalling.
Regardless, yes, you need to listen to the RPM and adjust the pedals accordingly. I only ever had one stick with a tachometer, so listening became very important.
@jaytkay He last time my mother drove a slushbox, she kept stomping the brake pedal hard with her left foot :P