Life as an Esthetician Student: Getting Started

After a year and a half, I've finally jumped back on the blogging boat and taken an informal hiatus from YouTubing. For the past three months I've been in school as an Esthetics Technology student and I'm so thrilled to be learning new information and finally pursuing my passions. It's definitely taken time from my work life and social life, but I know it's just a temporary struggle and I'm willing to go through with it.

Before starting school again, I felt really anxious and nervous because it had been nearly a year and a half of just working. No school, no tests, no homework.  I didn't do so hot in undergrad and to be able to excel in school again was a foreign concept to me and to be able to potentially be the best in my class was completely bizarre.

The first step you take toward your dream career is the start of everything. For me, the first step was deciding where to go to school. In the NC Triad, there are 3 main esthetics technology programs: two big name schools and one at the community college. Honestly, this is completely elitist of me, but I want to be raw with you all, I was concerned about the name of the school I'd attend. I graduated from one of the top public universities in the country (C's get degrees, yall 🙈) and to possibly go to a school with no nationwide recognition was scary. "Would I be able to get a job? Is my resume going to hold up? Will I receive the necessary education and skills to succeed in the field?" I needed to humble up.

Considering the lack of comprehensive review websites on beauty schools, I decided to do field research and spoke to a few estheticians in the area (pro tip: mix business with pleasure 👌). I scheduled facials and got nosy. I asked where they went to school, their experiences, recommendations, and thoughts on the local schools. I gathered all the information I needed and had to weigh my pros and cons.

The only pros of the big name schools were the name and the accelerated program (6mo), with the cons being $16k tuition, 12hr school days, and being trained with a specific brand--their brand. Ultimately, I decided to enroll in the local college's program at $2k for 9mo. Although the program is longer I knew an accelerated program wouldn't allow me to retain information as needed. I also didn't want to be trained with a specific brand because I feel like it'd just be an expensive training program for brand X's salons and spas. The instructors also made a huge difference considering big name school X was known for having a high turnover rate on instructors and that's the last thing anyone should have to worry about.

Ultimately, I had to decide which school suited me best and I haven't looked back since. The experience and knowledge is exhilarating and I can't wait to learn more.

xx

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