As we evolve our student experiences here at the academy, we are constantly reminded to strive for excellence in our relationships with students, educational faculty and with clients. Many of the questions and comments we have from our students surround their beginning experiences here at the academy.
"It would have been great to have a manual or guide to understand how to start."
"I wish I'd known about a lot of the details before I had my first day."
"A list of things that I needed would have helped me be more prepared."
Once we understand the different details that surround us when we start our Hair programs, it becomes a lot easier to release our anxiety and fears surrounding the first parts of our education. We created a video for you to Meet Lisa, she's an aspiring student here at the academy. We also created a list below for you to follow as well.
Here are the top things you need to know before you have your first day at Cosmetology School:
Research the different schools in the area you plan to take your courses. Some have extensive programs, fast track, full beauty programs or simple ones. During this research it's a great idea to compare pricing and what's included in your program.
Once you have found your top picks to attend. It's always best to make an appointment to meet at the academy of choice. This first meeting will clear up a lot of your questions and help explain the process. A high quality academy will explain financing, pricing, give you a tour of the school, answer all of your questions and outline what you will learn in your courses. They will also give details about your levels of certification, diplomas and achievements and how those can affect your future career.
Once you've made your decision to apply, sign up and go forward with courses. You'll need to get all of your paperwork from the academy. This is often done for you in your initial visit.
Fill out all of your paperwork for financing, applications and related forms as quickly as you possibly can. Financing through government agencies and grants can often take longer than you think. Best to get it all out of the way.
Once approved, create a budget plan on how you'll make it through your course. Some students choose to work part time while in school to help with expenses. Others use financing to be able to get through. It's very important to have a plan! It can be very difficult to focus on school work while stressing about money.
Once paperwork is submitted and a plan made for financing your time while at school, you'll need details on what you'll need in terms of supplies to be prepared. Most high quality academies provide your kits (usually included in tuition)(possible uniforms, beauty specific supplies, items needed to fulfill the course etc.) If not you'll need a detailed list of what you need to purchase from various vendors to make sure you have the right items. On top of that, most schools do have some sort of dress code. It's best to get on board and have what you need to fulfill dress code before you start courses so that there isn't any reason to create uncomfortable situations. You will also need to bring pens, pencils, small ruler, binder with paper or notebooks etc. These items are rarely provided.
Once you've gotten to this point, you can relax. You're pretty much ready to go. The only other advice we have is to prepare mentally. Decide what kind of student you want to be. Make active choices about how you'll choose to interact. You may also want to find out about how meals, breaks and parking work for your academy. These are all really important factors.
Remember to have fun!
Thanks for reading, and we hope this helps any aspiring students out there feeling like they need more information.