Aid in landing...

The further out you are when you have the plane properly lined up with the runway, the easier it is to put it on the runway.

Having to correct for wind drift if crosswind and power management for preventing being long or short for several seconds is easier than whipping it around a descending turn direct onto the end of the pavement. (and its safer too...)

Find a landmark which you can overfly as you come out of your turn onto final and be consistantly lined up with the runway.

These hints helped me TONS!