If you fly from an airfield where the SOJ is the norm then it does become extremely 2nd nature, i.e. Staverton.
A few rules I have applied to my students for the SOJ are reasonably fool proof, made easier by the fact that we already know circuit direction & wind etc as we ask ATC for rejoins. But basically.
If it's a RH circuit keep the airfield on the right (& Visa Versa)
No turns inside the ATZ opposite to circuit direction
Once overhead, when you can read the active runway numbers the right way up out of your window (or your pax window) you have to be deadside.
Keep your eyes out the cockpit or one day (could be today) it'll kill you (& me).
As for joining from the dead side this was argued by a student who I did a mock test for once, he joined from the deadside at 2,000ft and then just descended to circuit height & went xwind, my argument is that never was he really overhead the airfield, so he should have done an orbit above the airfield first. Another instructor disagreed, so we asked one of the ATCOs, and he said that for the OHJ you can't just descend deadside without having been overhead because this did not constitute an OHJ.