DAVID,

Congratulations!! and welcome to the hobby. Flying in the wind can be fun. I love to see a plane "CRAB" in to a landing.

I'm a FIRM believer in REALFLIGHT or any other good flight simulator. I practice the PATTERN on it and as DESERT MOUSE has told you it's a requirement for him Since I'm the one whom foots the bill for wrecked planes. And All of the guys we fly with agree it has helped him immensely. We have an older gentleman who just started flying a few months ago, he couldn't shoot a landing, I mentioned the REALFLIGHT, He went out and bought the G-2 light. He had put his trainer in a couple of weeks ago and during the time it took him to rebuild it he practiced on R.F. He came out to the field last SATURDAY and did 10 landings, Not all great, not even good. He bounced most of them. (who doesn't beginning) But it gave him the confidence and courage to hit the runway.
And I mention the RUDDER thing out of experience! My instructor never told me anything about the RUDDER, and one weekend when he couldn't make it I went it alone, I decided to attempt a RUDDER turn.. Wrong thing to do with a high wing dihedrialed trainer!! It spun in. Now that I play with pattern maneauvers, I HAVE to use the rudder for correction. It will come when it's supposed to. MOST students have enough to think about just flying the plane, and not worrying about coupling non-essential inputs. (just my opinnion!)

DESERT RATT.