How to Choose a Cosmetology College near Desdemona Texas
Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Desdemona TX, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit further concerning that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Desdemona residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Desdemona TX beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional names and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees
There are primarily two avenues available to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Desdemona TX business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the Texas Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following segment.
Online Cosmetologist Courses
Online beauty classes are convenient for Desdemona TX students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Schools
Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any cosmetologist training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Desdemona TX residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 76445 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Desdemona TX businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any cosmetologist institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Desdemona TX salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Texas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a hair salon in Desdemona TX, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So search for other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s essential that she or he receives help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Desdemona TX employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Desdemona TX?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Desdemona TX area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Desdemona, Texas
Desdemona is a former oil boomtown and virtual ghost town located in Eastland County east of Abilene in West Texas. The community is located on Texas State Highway 16 at Farm-to-Market Roads 8 and 2214, approximately twenty miles southeast of the county seat of Eastland and twenty miles west of Stephenville, site of Tarleton State University.
Dating to 1857, Desdemona was one of the first Texas towns established west of the Brazos River. Settlers constructed a small fort on land owned by C.C. Blair for protection from Comanche Indian attacks. In 1873, Rockdale Baptist Church, the first organization of any kind in Eastland County, was constructed. Two years later, the brothers William and Ben Funderburg acquired the former Fort Blair land and proceeded to develop the community, then called Hogtown on Hog Creek. A post office was authorized in 1877 under the name "Desdemona", a reference not to the character from Shakespeare, but the daughter of an area justice of the peace. During the 1890s, agriculture was important in Desdemona, particularly peanuts. The population reached 340 in 1904.[1]
In 1914, businessman J.W. "Shorty" Carruth drilled a shallow unproductive oil well and began selling stock in his Carruth Oil Company though he misrepresented the actual value of its worth. In 1923, a federal grand jury indicted Carruth for using the mail to defraud investors of some $7 million. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year in the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. The presiding judge likened Carruth to a "highwayman".[2]
Choose the Right Beauty College near Desdemona TX
Choosing and enrolling in the right cosmetology college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Desdemona TX.
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