AA5 PLT TAKES OFF AND ENCOUNTERS IFR IN VMC; CLBS CLR OF WX AND DIVERTS TO ANOTHER ARPT.

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I AM GETTING CLOSE TO THE PVT PLT CHK RIDE WITH 2 HRS OF SOLO XCOUNTRY AND THE 3 HRS OF PTS-SPECIFIC TRAINING LEFT. IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS I HAVE FLOWN 16 TIMES -- 9 DUAL INSTRUCTION FLTS AND 7 SOLO FLTS -- 21 HRS TOTAL IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS. ALL OF IT IN A PLANE I PURCHASED TO COMPLETE MY TRAINING. I MET WITH MY INSTRUCTOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS BEFORE I TOOK OFF. THE SKY LOOKED BETTER THAN IT DID AT TKOF. WHEN PREFLTING THE PLANE; I NOTED THAT THE SKY DIDN'T LOOK AS GOOD AS THE CURRENT ATIS STATED (7 MI VISIBILITY; FEW 1000 FT; 12000 BROKEN). THE CONDITIONS OVER THE RTE WERE IMPROVING; BUT I NEGLECTED THE TREND AT THE DEP ARPT (ALSO THE DEST ARPT SINCE IT WAS A ROUND TRIP). PRIOR TO THE DEP TIME ATIS; THE METAR WAS VISIBILITY 7 MI; SCATTERED 8000 FT. I CHOSE NOT TO GET A BRIEFING FROM THE FSS AS I HAD PRINTED OUT THE WX FROM ON-LINE DUATS. 1500 FT SCATTERED; 4000 FT BROKEN; BECOMING 3000 FT SCATTERED; 5000 FT SCATTERED TO BROKEN. OUTLOOK VFR. ALSO; REMAINDER OF AREAS -- SCATTERED TO BROKEN CIRRUS; OUTLOOK VFR. AIRMET -- IFR. OCCASIONAL CEILING BELOW 1000 FT; VISIBILITY BELOW 3 SM IN MIST/FOG. CONDITIONS ENDING XBOO-XC00 (MY DEP WAS SET FOR ABOUT XB45). HAD I NOT KNOWN THE SPECIFIC ARPT CONDITIONS ALONG THE RTE AND AT THE DESTS; THE CONTENT ABOVE WOULD HAVE MADE ME STAY AT HOME. AT A NEARBY (NOT OVER THE RTE; ABOUT 20 NM AWAY) ARPT; TAF WAS XA00 WIND 260 DEGS AT 9 MI; VISIBILITY 6 MI; 2000 FT SCATTERED; 4000 FT BROKEN. XA00-XB00 TEMPORARILY VISIBILITY 4 MI; LIGHT RAIN; MIST; 2000 FT OVCST. I MAY HAVE CHOSEN TO IGNORE THE IFR AIRMETS AND POSSIBILITY OF CLOUD COVER DUE TO THE ARPTS ALONG THE RTE RPTING 7 MI OR BETTER AND CLR SKIES. I THEN MADE THE DECISION THAT THE FLT WAS SAFE TO DEPART AT XB45. THE SKY DIDN'T LOOK AS GOOD AS THE RPTS SAID. I WAS CLRED TO TAKE OFF. AT ABOUT 100 FT A PAX JET ANNOUNCED HE WAS ON THE APCH FOR THE RWY. I THEN REALIZED THAT THERE WERE WISPS OF CLOUDS ALMOST EVERYWHERE I LOOKED. WHEN TOLD I COULD TURN L ON COURSE; I WAS ABOUT 400 FT AND REPLIED THAT I WAS UNABLE AT THE TIME BECAUSE OF CLOUDS AND WAS TRYING TO REMAIN VFR. I DIDN'T THINK WE HAD A BIG PROB AT THIS POINT. I COULD SEE HOLES AND WAS SHOOTING FOR ONE. ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER (ABOUT 500 FT); I REALIZED IN WAS IN TROUBLE. THE GND WAS DISAPPEARING AND THE HOLES WERE DISAPPEARING. I TOLD THE TWR THAT I HAD TO DO A 360 DEG TURN TO REMAIN VFR. WHAT I MEANT WAS A 180 DEG TURN. THE GND DISAPPEARED AS I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF I SHOULD PULL PWR AND POINT THE NOSE DOWN TO STAY UNDER (I WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 700 FT THEN) AND TRY TO CIRCLE TO LAND OR DO SOMETHING ELSE. I LOST THE HORIZON AND ALL I SAW WAS GRAY/WHITE AND EVERY NOW AND THEN SOME 'CLR' SKY; WHICH ALLOWED ME TO SEE CLOUDS FURTHER AWAY. I ELECTED NOT TO KEEP TURNING OR DSND TO LAND. I LEVELED THE WINGS; AND CHKED TO MAKE SURE I WAS CLBING. 'TWR (CALL SIGN) WE ARE VFR STUDENT IN IMC; UNABLE TO SEE GND OR HOLES.' (MEANING HOW TO GET DOWN OR OUT). TWR SAID TO STAND BY; THEY WERE CALLING APCH TO FIND A CLR ARPT TO GET ME TO. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE PLANE RELATIVELY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL DURING THE CLB UNTIL I BROKE OUT ON TOP. I BELIEVE I WAS IN IMC FOR ABOUT 1-2 MINS. WHEN I WAS ON TOP IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE THERE WAS A BROKEN TO OVCST LAYER WITH THE TOPS ABOUT 1800-2000 FT. I WAS HANDED OFF TO APCH AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT I WAS CURRENTLY VFR AND IDENTED AN ARPT ABOUT 60 MI AWAY THAT WAS RPTING CLR SKIES AND GOOD VISIBILITY. IT ALSO HAD A VOR ON THE FIELD. I FLEW TO THE ARPT. ABOUT 20 MI FROM THE ARPT (THE NEW DEST) THE CLOUD COVER DISAPPEARED AND I WAS TOLD I COULD DSND TO THE ARPT SHORTLY AFTER. LATER THAT DAY MY INSTRUCTOR FLEW WITH ME BACK TO THE HOME ARPT. THERE WERE BROKEN TO OVCST LAYERS AT 2000-2500 FT ALL DAY. THE OBVIOUS MISTAKES: FAILING TO HEED AIRMETS BY EITHER WAITING OR CONFIRMING THAT CONDITIONS WERE GOOD AT DEP ARPT; ASSUMING PAST EXPERIENCE WITH WX TRENDS WILL SOMEHOW MAKE THESE CONDITIONS ACCEPTABLE; AND IGNORING MY OBSERVATIONS AND RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE WX AND BELIEVINGTHE RPTS.