ACFT FLOWN INTO IMC WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

FROM THE GND THE WX LOOKED GREAT. I DID NOT BOTHER TO CALL FSS BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A SHORT FLT TO THE PRACTICE AREA. I KNEW THERE WAS FOG AROUND BUT I THOUGHT THAT IF THE AIRPLANES DOING THE TFC WATCH WERE UP (I HAD BEEN LISTENING TO THEM ON MY WAY TO WORK) THEN EVERYTHING WAS OK. AFTER DEP WE ENTERED IMC. I DID NOT WANT TO REQUEST AN IFR CLRNC; SO I DID A 180 DEG TURN BUT IT WAS TOO LATE; SO I CONTINUED DSNDING FROM VFR CONDITIONS AT 1700 FT TO 200 FT AGL THEN BACK UP TO THE TOP OF THE CLOUDS WHERE I REQUESTED ASSISTANCE TO THE OPF TWR WHO VECTORED ME TO A NEARBY ARPT (HWO) WHERE WE LANDED SAFELY. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD'VE KEPT MY COOL AND REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC BACK TO OPF WHEN I WAS VFR ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS; BUT I THOUGHT THAT BY JUST DOING A 180 DEG TURN I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO THE ARPT AND WHEN I REALIZED THAT I COULD NOT; I JUST KEPT DSNDING BELOW A SAFE ALT. I THINK GETTING INTO IMC ALL OF A SUDDEN CONFUSED ME AND IT TOOK 10 SECONDS TO REGAIN MY COOL; BUT BY THEN I HAD DSNDED TO 200 FT AGL. I THINK IF I'D HAD MORE ACTUAL IMC EXPERIENCE IT WOULD'VE HELPED.