With all the instructors here extolling the whys & wherefores of covering all possibilities before solo. I went solo after 14 hrs. Not current, but having about 100 hrs on gliders. I then did about 2hrs consolidation, during one of these I entered a small cloud on downwind, all went white for some 30sec while I concentrated on the AI, no problems. On landing it occured to me to ask my instructor if I could please stall the a/c at some time just to check it's characteristics. Deathly hush in the office, I was asked to wait outside a moment! "Next time, exercise 10A.B" etc. I also did some 25hrs of navigation exercises, I never once got lost, I was never "unsure of position" I was never purposefully lost by any instructor, it was just, "plod on yet again to xyz or wherever". 66hrs to NPPL.