I started my journey here at the Cinta Aveda Institute last October in the Cosmetology program. This last year has been one of the craziest, busiest, most exciting years yet, and it’s all thanks to this school! We hear it all the time: “Going to beauty school is going to be some of the best times of your life!” It’s so true! I have gotten a great education, and met some of my best friends, while attending cosmetology school. Here’s a run down of my experience.
The program begins in the Introduction phase and, from there, you work your way up to Alpha, Beta, and all the way through to Gamma—the final phase. During your time at the Institute, you learn everything from facials, nails, hair care, product knowledge, cutting, and chemical services. This is a breakdown of what each phase includes:
- Introduction is exactly what it sounds like: the basics. In Intro, you are a scared little puppy version of your future self. You know nothing and that’s okay; you’re not alone in your lack of knowledge! For most of us, I think, this was the hardest part of school: feeling unsure of yourself. But you quickly realize it doesn’t last long. After the educators have drilled all of the color theory and haircutting basics into your memory, you move on to the next phase: Alpha.
- Alpha is the first time you work with real guests: people who are actually paying for you to play with their hair! This portion of the program is when you make the majority of your mistakes and learn through trial and error. It’s great!
- In Beta, you are literally moving up, meaning you are now on the third floor: the salon floor. This marks your halfway point in the program. All of the hard stuff is over with, or at least that’s what you’ve convinced yourself. You still get the occasional tricky guest who you don’t know how to deal with or a service you have avoided this entire time—*cough cough* a perm!—but it really is all about perfecting and feeling confident in what you already know.
- Now on to Gamma, which is the final phase, and the last step in completing your education. Gamma is all about the State Board! We do theory in the morning, and guests in the afternoon. The theory time consists of State Board written theory and running through all of the practical operations that will be on your licensing examination. This is the second most important part of your experience here at the Institute, right after learning the basics in intro, because it prepares you to pass the State Board and become a licensed cosmetologist. Yea! So if you are looking to get the complete package out of your cosmetology education, the Cinta Aveda Institute is probably the place for you!
