Gerund
I did another flight today and I think you're right (now), it's just that as of two days ago I couldn't intuitively tell (on an ADF dial) which side of me the track was on, but after another few hours I think I've got it now.
I've also developed another VOR tracking method (and of course I'm almost certainly not the first to figure this one out) - get on track, figure out which side of you the wind is coming from (from ATIS or forecast), steer that way and if the needle moves, steer towards it (ie left of centre or right of centre) until it goes back to the centre. Then halve the difference between original and new headings and hold that.
Checkboard, I have been getting strong hints from my instructors that if I can do everything on the ground first the flight will go better and they seem to be telling the truth! And I couldn't read an ADF with that confident "I'm definitely here and my track is definitely over there" feeling, that's why I'm on this thread...can now though. And I haven't been doing much cross-country work so the aids are always pretty close (~5 nm) therefore quite sensitive.
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Confident, cocky, lazy, dead.