Hi vwtrey,
How well do you think you did on the buddy box?
If I was your instructor I would tell you to forget about the rudder right now except for takeoff and landing, get comfortable with the plane then start dealing with the rudder, it really does not do much on a trainer except for ground handling. Keep working on the sim as it can't hurt, just don't think of it as a replacement for your instructor, or you'll be buying a new plane. The sim just can't replicate real flying conditions. I'm sure you've noticed on the sim how much effect the rudder has on the Ultimate compared to the Nexstar.