Having your hair cut at a college - okay or a recipe for utter doom?

[FoofFighter]

I am so skint but I cannot afford to pay £30+ for a haircut. The local college has a hairdressing deptartment which charges between £5 and £10 for a haircut.

Dare I??

How much longer will it take, will they do everything that a normal salon would do and would I need to "mark" them?

*department

I've had highlights and a cut at my salon.

Beware, it can take a looooong time.

No, you won't have to mark them, their tutor will do that.

They are unlikely to cock it up as, IME, they tend to be overcautious. If they can't get it quite right the tutor can step in and sort it.

My college one is actually a proper salon - you tip them and everthing.

Well ...... Toni & Guy it won't be. But the result should be at least on a par with your average high street salon. It will take AGES: You won't mark the student, but the (qualified) teacher will assess all the way, and will have a whole class of 10-16 students to assess at the same time. So you may have some waiting during the process.
I'd say def go if you want a colour - that will be cheap and you will be sure to have a higher level student. Ask for NVQ3 if poss. If you want a fancy cut ... um .. no. Straight bob - yes. But give colour a go! Good luck! (where are you? If a good college it will have a high-class salon environment and yes, should offer everything the salon should - but the coffee may be a bit ropey)

x post fishyonadishy - and yours was so much more succinct!

I work in an FE college and we get access to the cheap rates from the hairdressing students.

It's fine, if you just want a simple trim. It will be slow but ok so allow plenty of time

Make sure you have a Level 3 student cut your hair (they usually are already working in the industry).

A good Level 2 student is fine as well, but we get inside recommendations from the hair tutors who tell us which students are ok and which need to be avoided like the plague

WHATEVER you do... Don't let them layer your hair, dye your hair, or perform any sort of waxing anywhere on your body

Oh I wanted a layered longish bob thought that would be straightforward enough?

So you reckon I would need to tip then? Would ask actually as maybe they won't be allowed to accept?

I used to have trims and leg waxes at our college.

Haircuts, fine, but seriously took AGES. Block out 2 hours for a trim.

Leg waxing, I can do a better job. Should re-train as a waxer.

I know someone who went to the local college and had fab cuts. She went in the spring and summer, when they'd had a few months of experience behind them, though! I've been suggesting to DH to try the college near where he works, since his long hair needs a tidy and I can't be arsed with it.

Hmmm I assume if something goes wrong they/the tutors will put it right?

Echo what others have said about the trims. I have had it done a few times and been satisfied with the results. Had some semi permanent colours done too and hair has always been fine.
Least painful bikini wax was done by a student before I went on holiday last year. If only I could find what salon she now works for!

Yes FoofFighter everytime I have had it cut the tutor looks over the cut and sorts anything out. I have longish hair so not so much of a tragedy if it had needed to be drastically fixed.

TBH I have had better cuts at a college where the tutor keeps a beady eye, than from a junior in a salon with nobody checking. IMO allow half a day - take a book, work, whatever.

Ask for a level 3 NVQ student. It's the same as a trainee in a salon. You're not always told you've got a trainee in a salon, if you don't know any of them. But yes, they take ages and they do accept tips.

Go it is fine, quite good fun but takes ages. I damaged my shoulder last year so for three months I couldn't raise my hand to wash my hair properly. So once/twice a week I would go and have my hair washed and blow dryed at the local training college, it kept me sane and because I became a regular I got rotated amongst all the students that needed to have a bit of blow drying evidence in their folder. Was a nice clean cheap place and a lot less stuffy than a lot of hair salons, plus you are not sat in a high street window looking like death with wet hair which is what I hate about going to the hairdressers.

Ooh, I wish we had a nearby college cutting hair for a fiver; I'd be there like a shot.

catinboots I let a student wax me - . She drew blood in more than one area!!!

On the college point though, the best haircut I ever had was from a newly qualified stylist at the Andrew Collinge 'Graduates' salon, where they work til they get a 'real' job. Sadly, she was so good she got a job really quickly and I never managed to find out where .

ems, i've been to andrew collinge graduates too, had a fab cut there on more than one occasion, only a tenner.

Thanks all, have bitten the bullet and made an appointment for a cut and blow dry :)

The fact it is in a college will help my hairdressing salon phobia I hope, detest going.