Well Hello Everyone,
So I had a couple of requests to go through the state board process. So I am back to tell you my experience.
While in cosmo school you have an option at 1200 hours to pre-apply for a state board date or wait until your 1600 hour mark and apply (and wait for a date!). You see in order to get licensed you have to pass a state exam. At 1200 hours (My first exciting moment in school) I sent in my pre application and waited an agonizing 6-8 weeks to receive my date. My second most exciting moment in school was the day I walked into class and the woman who works in the office brought me my paper work and date. August 31st! It was official. It was less then a month away. At this point in school I was stressing in state board class. I was going over and over each step, wearing a stupid white lab coat, washing my hands about 300 times a day (state board is all about sanitation not how well you do a haircut) and at this point was studying my ass off. I was in class form 8 am to 10 pm just to clock in my hours. I called my mom a begged her to be my model by offering free hair services for life. Luckily for me she agreed. The third most exciting day was when I clocked out at my 1600 hours for the very last time. My friends sent me off wishing me good luck, a lot of cupcakes and trying to reassure me that I would be just fine! "Just study. You know the information!" they would say.
Now the pressure begins. I took over my parents kitchen, forced my poor mother to sit still, shut up and time me over and over and over again. There are over 30 applications you need to know for state board form skin care to nails, pedicures (GROSS!), and hair. You see...you need to know them all but you don't find out what's on your test until the morning of. So like I said I made my mom sit in the kitchen with a timer for 6 to 8 hours a day going over flash cards and running through applications (which I would be timed on). I stressed myself out, had emotional break downs, picked fights with my mom and I think had a short psychotic break.
The morning of state board I put on that stupid white lab coat and was in Glendale by 6 am for check in (mom in tow). As we were in the long line my mom asked one of the women who worked for state board a question about the line (she made a comment about splitting the line) and she snapped at my mom. Off to a great start!!! :) We checked in, got into the room and waited to set up. I think at this point I was shaking so bad it looked as though I was having a seizure. The state board examiner gave us a brief tutorial and said GO! I set up, opened my book of operations and panicked. Of course they gave me everything I wished they wouldn't (most of which I don't even remember now). I began. My mom, who granted is not used to being awake that early, in fact most people except me aren't used to being awake before the sun comes up, started to fall asleep during the operations. Models are not allowed to speak, read, listen to music or do ANYTHING. They just sit. So I guess she got a little sleepy. The girl next to me constantly got in trouble for moving the book of operations, which we were told not to do, and the girl on the other side of me cut herself so bad during a haircut I never thought she'd stop bleeding. The girl across from me, who also used her mother as a model, kept quietly yelling at her mother for chiming in and talking back. I thought the craziness had ended at my college experience but I guess not! It was quite an active morning. I was on my last procedure (after messing up a few operations) and the instructor asked to see my last operation, which I had already thrown in the trash. I had less then 5 minutes to complete a press and curl (involves a hot iron, stove, and typically African American hair) and i had to run back to my station, pull everything out of my trash bag (which is when I accidentally dumped everything out of my kit) and find a tiny wax strip with hair to present to the instructor. I rushed to throw everything back into the trash and clean up my station only to have 3 minutes to complete the press and curl. Let's just say I didn't really make it. Break time! The practical part of the exam was done. And so was my license or so I thought. I walked out of the room in tears convinced I failed my exam. I had 20 minutes to re focus, munch on some power food and re-group for the written exam. I walked in, took a ridiculous picture which ended up on my license (No you can not see it!) and sat down at the computer. I finished the written exam so fast I again thought I failed.
At this point it was about 1:30 in the afternoon and we didn't get our test results until 3. So my mom and I decided to head over to the galleria where I again had a break down. This was NOT an exam I EVER wanted to go through again.
3pm arrives! I sit in the results room. There are probably 50 people in there with me and the woman calls names in groups to come up to the desk and get your license or a piece of paper that says why you failed. First group goes, second group goes...OHHHHH MYYYYY GOOOODDDDDD just give me my results!!!!!!!! After the 3rd group the woman excuses herself for the worst 10 minutes ever! Of course! Finally my group gets called. I walk into line, approach the desk and she says "Samantha here is your license. Thank you. Goodbye. Oh yeah...Congrats". HOLLY HELL I PASSED!!!!! Best moment of my life. I completed 1600 hours and passed a state exam.
I ran downstairs to the parking structure where my mom was waiting for me, and of course who made friends with the parking attendant, and they 2 of them looked at me while holding their breath. "I failed"..I said. Yes I know this was a cruel joke but since this was over I couldn't resist a little joke. My mom was crying and I just smiled and said I passed! I pretty much called everyone I knew to give them the great news and let my friends, who hadn't yet taken the exam, and tell them it really wasn't that hard. "Just breathe and you'll do fine. it's a piece of cake!"
So I know this wasn't the most exciting blog but it's hard to take a very emotionally draining day and make it entertaining. But for all you students out there who are waiting to take the state board exam...it really isn't that hard. If you can breathe through it, trust yourself and study you'll do just fine!
On another note I took the week off work this week and went back to one of the best Hair schools in the world to take an advanced one week cutting class. So far it's been the best week! I've learned a lot and get my diploma tomorrow. Pictures and that blog to come....
Until next time...
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