I'm starting my course in just over 2 weeks. It will be for 2 weeks intensive, as it's a holiday in the UK.
It's raining here in NYC, so I've been planted in front of Thom and Microsoft Simulator. I really do feel as if I am learning something here. My scan is improving to a point of being fairly instinctive. I'm not over-reacting with my control inputs as much as I did when I started out. I'm using the "rudder" a lot more for sensitive adjustments. You can easily set up a limited panel too.
Now I know in the real thing, the cockpit workload increases, there's real time stress to deal with, wind is more tempermental and gusty, and the blessed compass and VOR bounce around like nobodies business. But the point is, by practicing on MFS, I'm able to commit the routine activities to my sub-conscious, so hopefully when the time comes for the course, I can deal with the excess workload better.
Maybe a cheaper (as well as viable) option than using a fully fledged sim.