Nails 101: A Student Blog

Week 1: Nervous and Excited About Starting School

by NAILS Magazine | January 11, 2011 | Bookmark +

My first week was something I was not in for. Let me back up and tell you when I enrolled. I was given a set of rules to go by. I thought, “I can’t do this.” Even with work, I could come and go as I wanted, talk on the phone, Facebook all day, and I had no dress code. That has been the hardest adjustment for me this week. I was told I had to wear all black, which makes sense because it does make you feel like you are a professional, plus you can accessorize to add color. It also gave me a reason to go out and shop (which makes going to class more fun when you have new clothes to wear!).

 

So, the first day of school was a long Monday. It felt like the longest Monday of my life. When I walked in, I was so nervous I didn’t even talk to anyone else. It’s natural to feel uncomfortable when you are in a room full of strangers. Like everyone else in the class we were all looking and judging, seeing the brands and the experience we are bringing with us to the class. I spent most of my time reading and taking notes. By the end of the day I had almost 30 pages of notes! We learned the history of the beauty industry. We also went over the different types of salons where we can work and we learned about image. 

 

When I got home, I was exhausted. I could not decide if I liked it or if I wanted to drop out. When Tuesday rolled around I decided I wanted to go back. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to learn more. I liked that the teachers took the time to know everyone’s name, ask how we are doing, and have an open door policy. After doing research, I knew this is one of the only schools in Minnesota where I can focus on just nails. I knew I did not want to do hair, so finding this program made it possible for me to go back to school.

 

The next day of class, came even easier to me. We learned a little but about bacteria and sanitation precautions. I got to learn words like OSHA and how to make sure I sanitize all my tools. It went by pretty fast. Mrs. Rebecca, our teacher, explained that we were going to go over manicures before anatomy because having a hands-on lesson will help us learn, and we will be able to retain more information. That is what we are going to have to know by the end of next Thursday.

 

When Thursday rolled around, I was still excited to go to class, but I felt like I had already taken in so much information that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to remember everything. I feel the stress because I have a project due in a few weeks for work, plus my wedding is in 12 days, plus a deadline at school for next Thursday of knowing the process of a manicure/ pedicure.

 

We began studying manicures by learning the tools and equipment that we will be using. There are a lot of vocabulary words that must be remembered so I was told to get flash cards to help learn them.

 

It is hard to see the tools and just read instructions on proper handling in a book so I got a manicure so I could see the tools in action. Here’s a photo of my nails!

 

This first week, was long, but it went by so quickly. I am excited and can’t wait until we get into the grit of nails. I will be so excited when I get my nail kit can actually start working on plastic fingers and then people.

 

— Susan

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