A flight simulator really makes a difference for newbies. Instead of wasting time at the field trying to figure out right & left, and learning the other basics of the controls, they can figure all that out at home on the computer.

Real flight time with an instructor is still extremely important, but the simulator lets them figure out the more basic stuff on their own, making the time with the instructor more productive.

My story is very much the same. When I started out, I spent several hours on RealFlight G2, and was able to solo after only 3 flights on the box with an instructor.