All good advice. One additional one is buy RANT.
Brilliant piece of software for instrument flying because it simulates ADF dip. Nope i'd never heard of dip before the IR but it is all the CAA seems to want you to learn. I bought it half way through and it probably cost me 3-4 hours wasted flying not having it at the start.
One thing I wish could be done differently is the Simulator/aircraft split. You get quite good in the SIM towards the end and a bit overconfident to fill in the hours which is when you should go to the ac and keep a few hours in hand on the sim for revising items you are having problems in the air with. The JAR IR does not allow you to mix and match (or my school didn't). I found the sim instructors were good for basic IF when everything goes well but real flying does not go perfectly. In the sim all of the radio call come when you have nothing to do (established in the climb, in level flight, after beacon outbound) . In the aircraft radio calls only ever come at the top of climbs in the transition to level flight(instant 300' level bust), as you go over the beacon and intitiate a turn (300' level bust) and when you are lining up for the final approach (Missed approach instructions...300' level bust)not very good at simulating real flight.
Anyway the facts are: everyone gets there in the end, no-one is a natural, it is incredibly unbelievably hard and equally rewarding. When you get totally downhearted (everyone does) have a couple of days off and carry on. The feeling you get when you pass is the best in the world.
Also remember when you pass you will be holding the most difficult and revered flying qualification in the world. (If there is a harder one I'd like to know). Good Luck