INEXPERIENCED IN ACTUAL IMC; PLT OF C172 DEVIATES GROSSLY FROM ASSIGNED HEADINGS AND ALTITUDES MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE ACCEPTING OFFER OF VECTORS TO VMC CONDITIONS.

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I DEPARTED ZZZ ON AN INST FLT PLAN FOR SSI. AFTER RECEIVING MY CLRNC FROM CHATTANOOGA APCH; I PROCEEDED ON COURSE (125) FOR AHN VOR. AFTER LESS THAN 30 MINS I DETERMINED THAT I COULD NOT SAFELY GET THROUGH A LINE OF TSTMS. I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT THAT WAS ABOVE MINIMUMS. I WAS VECTORED TO ZZZ1. I ASKED FOR; AND WAS GIVEN THE ILS RWY 1 APCH. WHILE ENRTE; I TRIED TO RETRIEVE THE APCH PLATE FOR THE ZZZ1 APCH; BUT COULDN'T FIND IT. WHILE SEARCHING FOR THE PLATE; I INADVERTENTLY DEVIATED OVER 90 DEGS FROM MY ASSIGNED HDG; AND APPROX 1000 FT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT (4000 FT). WHEN I REALIZED MY PROB; I CLBED BACK TO ALT AND BACK ON HDG. AT THIS TIME I REALIZED I HAD GONE BELOW THE MEA. ZTL HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH ME. I FINALLY FOUND MY APCH PLATE; BUT WAS SO UNNERVED BY THIS POINT THAT I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN HDG AND ALT. I DEVIATED FROM BOTH AT LEAST 3 MORE TIMES. AT THIS POINT; THE CTLR OFFERED ME CLRNC TO AN ARPT THAT WAS VFR. I GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED AND WAS VECTORED TO ZZZ2; APPROX 50 MI W. I LANDED AT ZZZ2 WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT ONE POINT; WHEN I WAS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT; I SAW WHAT I BELIEVE TO HAVE BEEN A MIL JET FLY ABOUT 500 FT BELOW ME ON THE SAME HDG. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE JET HAD TO DEVIATE TO AVOID ME. I LATER RETURNED TO MY HOME ARPT ZZZ IN IMC; AFTER A 2 HR WAIT AT ZZZ2. I WAS ABLE TO FLY VMC LATER THAT DAY TO SSI. I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT; THOUGH I AM LEGALLY CURRENT; I HAVE FLOWN VERY LITTLE IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS. WHILE I HAD FLOWN THE REQUIRED APCHS AND HOLDS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS; WITHOUT TROUBLE; I DON'T THINK I WAS REALLY READY FOR REAL IMC.