STUDENT PLT GETS LOST AT THE BEGINNING OF A SOLO XCOUNTRY AND ASK FOR HELP FROM ATC WHERE THEY FIND HIM 5 MI FROM HIS HOME BASE IN NEAR BY CLASS C AIRSPACE. AFTER BEING ASSISTED TO ANOTHER NEARBY ARPT; OF WHICH HE HAD FLT PLANNED; HE CONTINUED ON TOWARD HIS SECOND STOP WHERE HE WAS UNABLE TO TUNE IN AN ENRTE VOR; OR COMMUNICATE WITH THE AREA TRACON. HE THEN RETURNED TO HOME BASE WITHOUT COMPLETING HIS PLANNED XCOUNTRY FLT.

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AT APPROX XA00 HRS OR SO; I TOOK OFF FROM CHINO ENRTE TO RIVERSIDE AND THEN BAKERSFIELD. 3 HRS REQUIRED FOR MY SOLO TIME. I BELIEVE I REQUESTED A DEP FROM RWY 26L FOR A L TFC TO RIVERSIDE AND THEN ON TO BAKERSFIELD. ATC GAVE ME RWY 26R WITH R TFC. UPON REACHING PATTERN ALT; I WAS TRYING TO ADJUST THE RADIOS TO THE PROPER FREQS AND BECAME 'LOST' AS TO RAL. I DIDN'T WANT TO CALL AND REQUEST HELP; I THOUGHT I WOULD SEE IT SOON. EVEN THOUGH IT MAY'VE ONLY BEEN 10 MINS OR SO; IT SEEMED LIKE 30 MINS. I BECAME MORE STRESSED AND CALLED RAL FOR HELP. I WAS APPROX 4 MI N OF RAL IN ONTARIO'S AIRSPACE (CLASS C). I DID ONE TOUCH-AND-GO AT RAL THEN PROCEEDED ONTO BAKERSFIELD. I WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAL IN VAN NUYS TRACKING ON MY RADIO OR SOCAL (125.5). I HAD MY DIRECTION INDICATOR SET TO 278 DEGS/V186; BUT THE NEEDLE WAS NOT CTRING AS I COULD NOT DIAL IN VAN NUYS VOR (113.1). I BECAME INCREASINGLY PANICKED NOT FEELING AS THOUGH I HAD FULL CTL; SO I TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK TOWARD CHINO APCH. I WAS NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH SOCAL; THE ONLY THING I COULD DO WAS INFORM CHINO OF MY RETURN FLT. I BELIEVE I SHOULD'VE CHKED ALL FREQS NEEDED BEFORE TAXIING TO THE RUN-UP AREA. I WOULD'VE LIKED A LITTLE MORE TIME WITH THE INSTRUCTOR PRIOR TO MAKING THE FLT. MAYBE PRACTICE THAT FLT WITH THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE PLANE. MY INSTRUCTOR HAD/HAS FULL FAITH IN MY ABILITY TO MAKE THIS SOLO; THE PROB LIES IN THE RADIO CTLS OR POSSIBLY MY UNDERSTANDING OF THEM. HE IS AN EXCELLENT INSTRUCTOR AND I BELIEVE THAT WITH FURTHER TRAINING; SHE WILL PRODUCE IN ME ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST SAFETY CONSCIOUS PLTS IN THE AIR TODAY.