Q: My brakes don't smoothly stop when applied. What's causing the inconsistent pressure?

My vehicle sat for a few months due to the fact that I lost my driver's license. I still had a friend drive it around town now and again to give the battery some juice. We never noticed braking issues. But now that I have my license back and I'm driving it daily, I'm noticing an inconsistency in the way the brakes work. Instead of smoothly stopping, it's a choppy, uneven stop. I have been told that the brake pads/components may have rusted while sitting and it may take some time to even out again. However, I've been driving for 2-3 weeks, I've put on 30-50 miles and the brakes are still inconsistent. Do I need new pads? Do I need to take it out on the highway and go for a "real" drive to truly knock the rust off? Is this an issue I can remedy myself without taking it to a mechanic shop?

我的汽车有172000英里。
我的汽车有自动变速箱。