NMM: Beauty Beginnings: COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL

ANNOUNCING…………………………………..

I am officially a cosmetology graduate! After 52 weeks and 1600 hours, I’ve completed my training, and in three weeks, I will take the California Board of Barbering&Cosmetology state exam, and get my cosmetology license (fingers crossed!).

PREFACE

My whole cosmetology student journey (from Dec. 2009 to March 2011) was quite the experience. Let me preface this by saying to anyone who thinks becoming a hairdresser is an easy excuse for not going to college, there is much more to being in the beauty business than making people pretty. I have absorbed more knowledge in many different aspects than I originally expected. SO MUCH MORE. I believe I grew up quite abit, and was really able to learn a lot about myself.

MY BEGINNING

I started cosmetology school December 1, 2009 as a junior in high school, and had been homeschooled for the past five years. By my junior year, I was very secure in wanting to become a hairdresser, and it just happened that my educational supervisor with my charter school let me know that a cosmetology school in town had just recently opened their list to high school students! I got on the list, and right before Thanksgiving, I was contacted and had my start date. I was so ready to get started and, of course, was curious what it’d be like to GO to school everyday and have classmates, since I had missed out on the junior high/high school experience. Within my first week, I had learned how to do a basic one-length cut and perm, was studying for my first written test on the electricity chapter, and was quickly adapting to my new school environment. Within my first month, I had learned almost all the state board procedures (0, 45,& 90 degree haircuts, perm, soft curl, relaxer, manicure, pedicure, 5 colors, 8 facials, wet set and press/curl) . Needless to say, the first month was intense. My teacher was quick to teaching us everything we’d need to know, and at that point the rest of our hours were to be spent perfecting everything, and learning the salon stuff. I am definitely self-motivated and it payed off, because ultimately only you really are responsible for how much you learn. Cosmetology schools are all about State Board procedures, and anything other than those is all extra. Therefore asking was the key to learning extra things like highlighting, texturizing, color formulating, etc., but luckily for me, my teacher readily gave me all the information I was willing to ask for. The following hours really did fly by, even when they dragged on..if that makes any sense.

COSMETOLOGY101

There is so much more to cosmetology school than learning though, honestly. We spend 98% of the week standing at all times and usually talking. At my school we are closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays for a test/book work day and a state board procedures day. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays are all about taking clients, and if you don’t have a client, working on a dollhead. Because we’re almost always allowed to talk, there is constant drama at the school between classmates, but I was lucky (smart?) enough to stay uninvolved in any incidences. Also, because my school takes clients 3/5 days of the week, I was exposed to every type of personality/background/age in this town, and that was tough, but it was much needed experience. While I would say I was not the stereotypical “homeschooler” (i.e. antisocial/quiet/sheltered), I worked on more than just becoming a hairdresser at cosmetology school. I really spent a good deal of those 1600 hours working on my people skills by dealing with difficult clients and gossiping girls.

THE END?

I have (thankfully) concluded my cosmetology school journey. However, obviously this isn’t the end. I am a beginner in the beauty world, and I will fully embrace that title! I am a blank canvas, ready to learn everything I can about all the new hair cut trends, cutting techniques, color placement/formulating, makeup in general, and the basics of the beauty business. And I do have the minor detail of state board to cross of my list, because as my teacher has always said, no one is a professional until they have that golden ticket. Also, I have a photoshoot coming up and I was nominated student of the year for San Jaoquin’s cosmetology ROP. Cosmetology school was an awesome experience and full of so very much learning in every aspect possible. I definitely feel that it has prepared me, and I am eager to move onto the next chapter!

and here are the pictures that documented the past 52 weeks