So you’ve tossed your graduation cap in the air, took a few selfies, maybe shed a tear or two because “life is just beginning,” and now you’re enrolling in cosmetology or barber school. Congrats! You’ve officially entered the chaos parade of adulthood wearing a smock and a name tag.

But before you go investing in a pair of $300 shears and announcing to the world that you’re the next celebrity stylist, let’s get real: You were approximately 1% prepared for what life was about to throw at you the moment you walked off that stage. And honestly, even that 1% was probably just remembering to set your alarm in the morning.

The Lie We All Believe: “I’ll Just Do Hair. How Hard Can It Be?”

Let’s break this down like a balayage tutorial on fast-forward. You think it’s about curling irons and contour palettes? Try adding in 7:00 a.m. roll calls, mildew-smelling towels, learning the difference between a blunt cut and a bob under pressure, and discovering the unholy agony of your first hair splinter. Spoiler alert: they hurt worse than your ex’s texts.

Cosmetology school (or barber school don’t worry, y’all suffer equally) isn’t just “learning how to make people pretty.” It’s chemistry, biology, customer service, time management, sales, crisis intervention, physical therapy (hello, back pain), and performing minor miracles on people who bring in Pinterest photos of hair that isn’t even real.

You’ll also learn the art of smiling while crying inside, which is vital when your client tells you she wants to go platinum blonde “today” but has five years of box dye layered on like geological strata.

Real Talk: Here’s What You’re REALLY Signing Up For

1. You Will Be Broke.
Unless you have a trust fund or a sugar parent (in which case, why are you even reading this?), welcome to instant noodles and gas station coffee. Cosmetology school isn’t cheap, and those kits they hand you? Might as well be made of unicorn hair and broken dreams for what they cost.

2. You Will Question Your Sanity.
Whether it’s memorizing 14 types of fungus for the state board exam or trying to blend a fade on someone with a cowlick shaped like the Nike swoosh, you will have days where you wonder if you should have just gone to community college and majored in “Undecided.”

3. You Will Fall in Love—with the Industry and Also Probably Cry About It.
There will be a moment (maybe after your 34th shampoo, maybe while scraping color off your knuckles) when something just clicks. You’ll make someone feel beautiful, or confident, or seen. And it will wreck you in the best way.

4. You Will Get a Hair Splinter in Places You Didn’t Know Had Nerves.
Let’s talk about it. No one tells you that tiny razor-sharp hairs will lodge themselves in your fingers, socks, bra, and possibly your soul. It’s part of the hazing process, I think.

5. You Will Be Tired.
Not just “I stayed up too late on TikTok” tired. More like “I stood for 9 hours, did four haircuts, a full foil, a color correction, and still have to clean my station while pretending my back isn’t screaming” tired.

The Good, the Bad, and the OMG Is That Lice?

The Good: You’ll build a tribe of fellow weirdos who understand the pain of mixing the perfect toner only to have the client say, “Can we go a little more ashy?” These people will become your family, your cheerleaders, and your emergency lunch-money lenders.

The Bad: You’ll have to deal with the public. I don’t mean normal people. I mean the woman who insists her natural hair color is “medium beige” and the dude who says, “Just a trim” but hasn’t had a haircut since Obama’s first term.

The Ugly: Sometimes it’s literally ugly. You’ll screw up. You’ll cry in the back room. You’ll wonder if you’re good enough. And you’ll keep going, because the only way out is through.

But Here’s the Thing…

You’re doing something most people are too scared to do. You’re not hiding behind a college major you picked because your aunt told you it had good job security. You’re chasing a craft. A trade. A calling.

You’re learning how to build something real with your hands, how to connect with people, how to shape confidence out of strands of keratin. That’s magic.

So, dear barely-an-adult-future-hair-god: Buckle up. It’s gonna be a wild ride. You’ll probably hate it sometimes. But you’ll love it, too. And one day, after 10 hours on your feet and a tip that barely covers your parking meter, someone will look in the mirror and say, “Wow. I feel amazing.”

And you’ll know you did that.

Final Thoughts

Drop a comment if you’ve already had a hair splinter lodged under your nail and lived to tell the tale. Or tell us the worst client request you’ve ever had. (“Can I get bangs like Wednesday Addams but, like, sexy?” is currently in the lead.)

Just remember: you’re not alone, you’re not crazy (yet), and you’re gonna kill it. Right after you sweep the floor. Again.