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It always surprises me that people don't learn how to drive a manual transmission right off the bat. In Germany, we have to learn with one to graduate the driving school and get the chance to get a license. However, that was roughly 20 years ago and things might be different now.
The best tip I can give anyone learning and having trouble with starting on an uphill is to remember you have a brake to hold the car in place, other than the one at your feet. My girlfriend had been driving for 15+ years and never thought of using the hand brake when starting on a hill. Now, she uses it all the time on an uphill start.
It works like this...
Come to a stop at the stop sign, clutch in, brakes applied. Pull up the hand (emergency) brake and take your foot off the brake. The clutch should still be in, so put the gear shift into first gear. Give the car a little gas to bring the revs up, slowly let the clutch out. When you feel the car starting to pull, gradually let the hand brake down. This is also a good method to get people new to manual transmissions started.
-Michael
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