I always taught my private students to keep the patterns and finals as tight as possible. In a C172, there final need not be any longer than 1/2 mile provided you have set yourself up properly. Unless there is a strong wind, finals are done with the throttle closed. If an engine ever quits on you, this bit of skill will be a nice thing to have. To those who say that an engine failure is too unlikely to worry about, I have had 3 total failures and one partial(the valve seat broke and the engine was in the process of killing itself when I landed). With light GA aircraft, the method I like to use is to keep the downwind leg as tight as possible, reduce power and start the descent midfield, turn base about 600 ft agl and reduce power further, then the power off final. There is nothing sacred about 3 degrees for light aircraft. You can fly a perfectly safe visual approach at twice that. Go and experiment with it. Decide for yourself which seems safest, which will challenge and improve your skills, and which will leave you in the weeds short of the airport wishing you flew a steeper approach.