PRIVATE PLT TRAINING FLT ENCOUNTERS IMC WX. FLT ASSIST BY CTR CTLR.

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BEING A COMMERCIAL STUDENT ENROLLED IN A COLLEGE FLT COURSE; THERE IS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS PLACED ON TIMELY COMPLETION OF SYLLABUS ITEMS; INCLUDING SEVERAL CROSS- COUNTRIES. AFTER OBTAINING A STANDARD BRIEFING; INCLUDING SOME MVFR ALONG THE PROJECTED RTE; MY INSTRUCTOR'S JUDGEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN CLOUDED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED CONDITION; AND MINE AS WELL; AS I DID TO RISK AFFECTING MY GRADE BY FIRMLY REFUSING TO GO. WHILE MY PLANNED ALT WAS UNATTAINABLE DUE TO LOW CEILINGS; I HAD NO OTHER DIFFICULTIES ALL THE WAY FROM CRAIG FIELD TO JUST PAST LAKE CITY; AND IT APPEARED TO ME THAT MAYBE I HAD BEEN A LITTLE OVER-CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE WX ENRTE WHEN CONFRONTING MY INSTRUCTOR. 20 MINS W OF LAKE CITY; A THICK; LOW LYING CLOUD BANK BECAME VISIBLE STRETCHING N-S ACROSS MY PATH. SEEING AS I HAD NOT HAD ANY WX PROBLEMS YET; AND THAT THE CLOUDS WERE ABOUT 10 MI AHEAD (JUST BEFORE MY DEST OF PERRY-FOLEY); I DECIDED TO GET CLOSER TO INVESTIGATE THE MAGNITUDE AND DEPTH OF THEM BEFORE TURNING BACK. AS I PROGRESSED TOWARD THE CLOUDS; THE WX BEHIND DETERIORATED INTO IMC. AFTER 5 MINS; I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO REALIZE THAT MAKING PERRY-FOLEY WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE AND BEGAN MY TURN BACK E; ONLY TO SEE AN EQUALLY IMPENETRABLE BANK BLOCKING ME. AS I FLEW N AND S PROBING THE LIMITS OF THE POCKET OF VMC I WAS STUCK IN; THE CEILING ABOVE ME CONTINUED TO LOWER TO ABOUT A THOUSAND FT; WITH THE CLOUDS ALL AROUND ME BEING GND BASED. I CONTINUED CIRCLING IN THE SHRINKING ENVELOPE; STILL WITH PLENTY OF LNDG FIELDS. FINALLY; JAX CTR (WHO I HAD BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH) DECLARED AN EMER ON MY BEHALF; AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB THROUGH THE CLOUD CEILING TO 3000 FT AND HEAD N TO VALDOSTA. I INFORMED JAX THAT I HAD BROKEN CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND THEN PROCEEDED; ON THEIR INSTRUCTIONS; VFR ON MY OWN NAV TO VALDOSTA. I LANDED THERE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS EXPERIENCE WAS AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE OF QUICK WX AND BAD LUCK; AGAIN NOT DISCOUNTING THE SOMEWHAT QUESTIONABLE JUDGEMENT OF BOTH ME AND MY INSTRUCTOR DURING THE GO; NO- GO DECISION PHASE. IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE INSTRUCTOR IS CONSIDERED AN EMPLOYEE OF THE STUDENT; SUCH DECISIONS ARE FAR LESS COMPLICATED THAN THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH FLYING OR FAILURE TO FLY AFFECT A GRADE.