G-EMMA
Maybe as a student I had a better capacity for making the right choice for me than F3G credited me for
I never commented on your particular personal choice, if you read your post #67 , you talk in the 3rd person in a way that reads, at least to me, as if you are generalizing, thus my response.
No doubt intuitively you made a good choice and there are upsides for learning on a short grass field, e.g. you will be good on speed control on final and not intimidated by a shortish grass strip, because you can put the aeroplane down accurately.
However, I really don't think you have the necessary knowledge to say which is the best choice - I know I certainly don't, as I see pros and cons both ways.
I switched half way through my course (due to relocation) and did my first 20 hours on a busy short rough strip, finishing off a a mile of tarmac/ATC airport, where I shared the circuit with everything from a C150 to a BAe 146 or 1-11.
I know that this unusual mixture suited me and improved my airmanship, but I wouldn't put it forward as a general approach to training.