Unfortunately flying schools must teach to the flight test. Now that you have your PPL you can take a more practical approach to the forced approach manoever.
Some things to think about:
1) 80 % of all real forced landings are a result of an engine failure that was directly caused by the actions or inactions of the pilot. IMO if flight schools could spent less time fetishizing about the "right" way to fly a forced approach and more on the pilot knowledge and pilot decison making skills to avoid having the engine fail in the first place, everyone would be better off.
2) A for real total engine failure is a true emergency. The only consideration is the survival of the passengers and the condition of the aircraft after it comes to rest is of no practical importance as long as the passsenger compartment is intact.
2) deaccelleration below 9 Gees will not cause any injury. 60 knots to 0 knots with a steady 9 Gee deacceleration takes about 25 feet. One of the huge problems in flight training is the emphasis spent on field selection. Any reasonably flat piece of land will do. The important thing is to fly the aircraft to the intended touch down point, therefore judging the approach path (ie at any point being able to say I am high/low/right on the desired flight path) is critical to surviving an engine failure. Fortunately you can practice this every time you land. Try to get in a glide approach to landing when practicable and if not fly final with a constant power setting and see if you can get to the flare without adjusting power.
3) The deadly crashes on the forced approach almost always involve being low. This either results in a stall/spin or hitting the approach end obstacles at flying speed and still high above the ground. A bit high and fast is way better than low and slow. If you arrive at your intended touch down point going too fast smash the aircraft onto the ground.
4) I was very disappointed at an early poster saying never raise the flaps once lowered. This is another fligh school "Never" commandment that seems to get mindless passed on and applied without any critical thinking in every situation. There is every reason to consider raising landing flaps to the max lift (usually takeoff) position if you are low. Unless you are very close to the ground there will be negligable sink (for your average Cessna Piper aircraft)and a usefull increase in glide distance. Of course it is better to not have put dpwn the flaps too early. Another flight schoolism is the direction to "Never" slip a Cessna C172 with flap allready deployed. This is absolute crap advice, ther is no POH prohibition on flaps with slips, and a slip with flaps will produce a very steep descent angle which will save a too high approach.