Another good reason for seeking a change is the oft neglected aspect that the instructor might be quite unenthusiastic about a student in particular.
I've certainly been praying to god that a student would ask for another instructor on ocassion.
It is often viewed quite dimly by the CFI and other instructors if you are seen to be offloading weak students or students with distinctive personality traits (trying to be tactful here).
If the student makes the request then the FI is off the hook...
A student is a prticular instructors whole worklife for anything from a week or two through to a year. Its Soooo important to get one you - as an instructor - like and want to help. If not you will generally only go through the motions.
The wise wannabe should realise that the best way for him or her to start their professional trainig is to drop the 'customer' mentality and instead adopt the 'seller' mentality. Let me elaborate.
You want and need to get the most for your money out of your instructor. The mosr efficient way to achieve this is to make them like, respect and want to halp you. trust me - going that 'extra mile' for your student is worth a fortune to him in terms of progress and training fees.
Now this is hard. You are paying this guys wages and have a right goddammit to get a professional service in return. Well welcome to CRM boys and girls. Its not about being all pals in the cockpit and being jolly nice to the cabin crew. Its about getting the best or at least what you want from another person even when they are not making an effort to provide it or haven't the ability to do so at the moment.
Make your instructors life easy, be prepared, laugh at his jokes and now and again thank him for his efforts today or wish him a good weekend. These things make a big big difference.
I don't want to be an apologist for all the half arsed instructor/hour builders out there doing a shoddy job - you'll find them I detest them more than you with my background. Its just I've seen it time and again - you'll bust a gut for the student you like despite his failings and damn well pull them over ever hurdle in their way. For the student you thought was a prat you'll do the brief, fly the sortie, right a single line of notes and then refer him to TrevorT.
Cheers,
WWW