Second Keef on both points -it's also a damn good discipline, but you MUST keep current.
It's no good going months without any IMC then finding yourself in the poo!
If you getit, USE it! I did about 13 hours genuine IMC out of 50 in my first year with the rating.
Gave so much more to the priviledges of my PPL -and it IS a priviledge. I was only one of 1500 who got PPL's in 1992.