So you want to go to grad school... (Dispelling myths)

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As an academic advisor (one of my many titles), I often advise students on grad school preparation.  A major part of my discussion is centered on dispelling myths and misconceptions of graduate school. Since I recall having those same misconceptions and I know many in the blogging world are interested in graduate school, I figured I'd pass on my knowledge...

1.  Grad school is NOT  a place to find yourself. That is the purpose of college.  I know it is very tempting to hideout in a grad school and ride out the recession, but if you are still unfocused...grad school is not for you. While in college, you should fully utilize your experience. Get involved.  Do research.  Do internships. Find yourself.  Conduct as much of your trial and error, while you are in college when you have no responsibilities and no bills.  (This is important whether you plan on attending graduate school or entering the working world.)  If you still haven't found yourself after graduation, consider short-term internship programs, Americorps, Peace Corps, Teach for America, or similar programs.  Quite a few of these programs, provide scholarships to pay loans or to apply toward graduate study.

2. When you apply to graduate school, you should have a defined area of study.  Graduate programs are very specific. When you apply to graduate school, you focus on your specific graduate program and the faculty's research area.  Even if you have a 4.0 GPA, if you write in your personal statement that you are interested in social policy and there is no faculty in that research area... you will not be accepted.  Do your research. Know the faculty.

3. You shouldn't pay for graduate school.  Unless you are going to grad school part-time or  pursuing a professional degree (M.D., J.D., M.B.A.), your education should be free.  Graduate students generally receive graduate assistantships, where you work for 20 hours a week and receive tuition and a living stipend.  They are harder to receive due to budget cuts, but they are they key to research in the sciences.   Another option is a Hall Directorship.  To attain this position, you should get experience as a Resident Assistant during your undergraduate years. 

Does anyone else have any advice?  Anything I should expound upon? In my next post, I can touch upon my personal journey....

So you want to go to grad school.... (Part 2)

In my prior post, I dispelled three myths that people often have about graduate study. Today, I'll let you know how I learned these lessons.

1. Grad school is NOT a place to find yourself. That is the purpose of college.

In college, I learned a lot about myself.  Like a true West Indian [as my friends describe], I often had 3 jobs at a time.  (They all had flexible schedules, where I could work as much or as little as I wanted.) 
Let's do the job/internship role call: Summer Camp Counselor; On-call Macy's Sales Associate; Kohl's Store Management Intern; Blue Hen Ambassador (tour guide); Coke Campus Manager (marketing and athletic event promotion); and Human Resources Intern.

Through trial and error, I learned what aspects of jobs/careers I liked ...and what I didn't like.  Although, I worked at Macy's for two years, it wasn't until I worked at Kohl's that I realized that I couldn't do retail/fashion for 40 hrs/wk. Nor could I do corporate. I just didn't like clothes that much.  I met a recruiter there and thanks to my Labor Relations and Human Resources classes, I became interested in that area.  My senior year, I applied and was accepted to grad school for Human Resources.  A Human Resources internship showed me that HR was mostly mind numbing paperwork.  I kindly turned down my acceptance.

2. When you apply to graduate school, you should have a defined area of study.

When I first graduated college,  I still wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do.  Working for two years as a Coordinator of Multicultural Recruitment, helped me to define my interests. Working with underprivileged populations made me want to focus on education policy.  I wanted to either work for government, a non-profit, or higher education to improve access to higher education. 

3. You shouldn't pay for graduate school.

In graduate school, I had a graduate assistantship which paid my tuition and provided a living stipend. In return, I worked 20 hours/week on education policy issues. I conducted research and developed reports that were used to attain federal funding and to improve education in our state. I also helped to plan workshops for teachers and administrators.  It was very fulfilling work.  It augmented what I learned in the classroom, AND  it paid.  No, you won't be rich. But with student tax adjustments, my take-home pay was only about $300 less than my meagre salary as an Admission Counselor.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions...

Hair Typing 101 (Part I)

Let's face it. Hair typing gets a bad rap. A really bad rap.  It is viewed as the categorization of "good" and "bad" hair textures.  Women can be found online asking others to categorize them.  Stereotypes ensue and then hair typing gets a bad name.  But if you think beyond the Andre Walker Typing System ( 3C, 4A, etc.), you will find that understanding all aspects of hair typing will make your hair journey much easier.  Have you ever wondered why someone's hair may look just like yours, but the products they use don't work for you?  Or why some people are more susceptible to breakage? In this two part series, I'll first break down hair typing terminology. In the second part, I will explain how you can use it to better understand your hair.

Black hair is very complex. No two heads of hair are alike. In fact, hairs on one head may not act alike. That is what makes us unique. But that also can be a challenge to fully understand. Our hair has various curl patterns (3C, 4A, etc.), textures, density, porosity and elasticity. It may seem very complicated, but here is the breakdown:

Curl Pattern

The Andre Walker Typing System is the most common system used to describe curl pattern.  Essentially, most Black women have curly (3) or kinky (4) hair. The A, B and C refer to the diameter of the curl. (Although some women refer to their hair has "G" or "Z" hair. There is no such thing. They are just using that to emphasize how "kinky" their hair is.) The typing system is helpful with understanding how your hair may look if you copy a particular style.  You can also infer that hair that is kinkier will be drier, because the tighter curl pattern makes it more difficult for natural hair sebum to reach the ends of the hair.  You should not infer that kinkier hair is stronger. This is false.  Hair texture determines hair strength, which I will discuss next.

The Quick and Easy Curl Pattern Guide:

1 = Straight Hair

2 = Wavy Hair

3 = Curly Hair   

     A = Curl diameter of sidewalk chalk

     B = Curl diameter of a sharpie

     C = Curl diameter of a pencil

      

4  = Kinky Hair

   A = Curl diameter of a needle

   B = Zigzag curl pattern

   C = No curl pattern

Texture

Hair Texture refers to the thickness or diameter of the hair strand.  Your hair can be fine, medium (normal) , or thick (coarse). Fine hair is delicate --with less protein structure --  and doesn't hold curls well.  Fine hair is more prone to breakage, especially if it is also prone to dryness.  Medium (normal) has more protein structure than fine hair, but it is more pliable than coarse hair. Coarse hair is a thicker hair strand, holds curls well, but it is less pliable than fine or medium hair. 

Density

Density refers to the number of strands on your head.  Those with low density hair are more likely to have issues with scalpy twists.  High density means you have a lot of hair strands.  When you refer to someone's hair as "thick", it is normally in reference to density.

Porosity

Porosity refers to how your hair strands retain moisture.  If you are having issues moisturizing your hair, this is a very important concept to grasp. Low porosity hair is difficult to get moisture into the hair. Normal (Medium) porosity hair is fairly easy to get moisture into the hair shaft and retain that moisture. High porosity hair has a very difficult time retaining moisture because water enters and leaves the shaft easily. (NOTE: Overly porous hair is normally due to chemical and mechanical damage and is even more difficult to moisturize.) To test your hair porosity, place a shed hair in water and follow the guide below. It is also important to note that hair porosity can change over time due to use of chemicals, heat, and age of hair.

Quick and Easy Guide to Porosity

Low Porosity = Closed Cuticle = Hair floats in water during hair porosity test = Difficult to get moisture into hair

Normal Porosity = Cuticle layer opens enough to allow  moisture = Hair take a long time to sink = Easy to moisturize and retain that moisture

High Porosity = Raised cuticle layer = Hair quickly sinks to the bottom = Absorbs water easily

Elasticity

Elasticity refers to the "stretchiness" of your hair, which is how much you hair will stretch and then return to its normal state. If your hair is healthy, when wet, it should stretch 50% or more and return to its normal state.  Unhealthy hair may only stretch about 20% when wet. Hair that is not elastic is more prone to breakage. It is also harder to curl with rollers or heat styling tools. To test for elasticity, pull strands from at least four areas of your head.  Determine how much it springs break, how quickly it springs break, and whether your hair breaks.

So there you have it! The simple breakdown of "hair typing". As you can see, it is much more than 1, 2, 3 and A, B, C. [Sorry I couldn't resist the rhyme.] It is also important to note,that you can have any combination of these characteristics. (So although you think your hair looks like "Ebony" when you watch her video... it's not.) In the next installment, take things a step further.  I'll explain why hair typing is important and how you can use this to sort through the plethora of information available on the web.

But for now... How do you think you will use this information?

Girl Crush

As a new mom, I struggle with finding a routine that allows me to balance family, career... and ME. The first video in the Girl Crush series was very refreshing. It was great to know other moms leave the house with minimal (or no) makeup just like me. I will admit that I have the lofty goal of wearing some makeup. Right now, I only use a moisturizer (it's not even tinted), clear mascara, lipgloss,and my eyebrow brush. (Does the eyebrow brush even count?) I'm also trying to be more consistent with eating a healthy, balanced diet and daily exercise.  I'm a work in progress, but for now I'm taking things one day at at time.

Black Hair Media Articles

If you didn't notice, I am a staff writer for Black Hair Media. For your convenience, I have included links in the menu bar and in the left column. Please feel free to check out my "Natural Corner" and comment.  Here are some of my most recent articles:

Product Review of Qhemet Biologics
Hair Products for Less than $5
Scalp Soothing Remedies
Clay as a Shampoo Alternative
Washing and Detanglng Natural Hair
Making the Most of a Hair Show
Twistout Tips
Hair Product Recipes

Hair Typing Series

Andre Walker Typing System
Hair Texture

Please check out the articles and let me know what you think!

How to Cut Down Your Detangling Time

 

Today, I have a guest post on Natural Hair Rules!

In September, I set a record. It took a whopping three days to detangle my hair. A styling assistant washed my hair in a circular motion, which caused numerous tangles. Then, he proceeded to brush my hair from the root and in a rough manner. ( And continued to do so after I expressed concern.) To top it off, the stylist put my dry, matted hair into flat twists. It took three days to remove deadlocks and shed hairs wrapped around my strands. Some of it was detangled. Some of it was cut.  For the last few months, I  have continued to cut shredded ends.

This is a tale of caution. Extreme example? Maybe. But does it provide some valuable lessons? Yes. If it is taking you hours to detangle your hair, it is likely because your techniques are causing excessive tangling. So if you are wondering why it is taking you so long to detangle your hair, here's why:

You do wash and gos...

When I was pregnant, I was too exhausted to twist my hair. Instead, I opted to do wash and gos. It got me out the door, but I paid for it dearly when it was time to detangle. When you stretch your hair in twists and braids, it prevents your curls from coiling around eachother. Once I returned to my regular twist/twistout regimen, my detangling time was cut down significantly.

You don't trim your ends...

It is a major debate over how often you should trim your hair. But a tell-tale sign that its time for a trim is detangling issues. If you find your comb continuously getting caught at ends of your hair -- and breakage-- then it's time for a trim. 

You don't wash your hair in sections...

I used to hate washing my hair in sections because it was an added step. That was until I learned that it cut the length of my I overall wash session. You can braid (or clip) your hair in four or more sections and attack each section one at a time. Remember to focus on your scalp and then run the shampoo down your hair shaft. (Don't scrub like the styling assistant did. It causes tangles.) You can even try detangling prior to your wash since washing your hair causes some shrinkage (and tangling).

You don't add slip...

Slip is the key to detangling with ease. When my hair was uber tangled after my nightmare styling session, I used an entire bottle of cheapie conditioner and detangled my hair in sections under running water. To add slip, you can use water, conditioner, and/or oil.

So there you have it! The reasons why it is taking you so long detangle your hair. Hopefully, incorporating these methods will cut down on your detangling time.

Do you have any other detangling tricks up your sleeve?

Vintage Post: A Braid Out Story

Stories normally start at the beginning.  They introduce the characters, build the plot, anti-climax, and bring the story home.  But in this story, the middle is the most satiating part of the story.  So let's start "in medias res".  (And yes, I looked up the term.)

My hair for my first date night out with the hubby (after baby).

And here's how we got here...

I adjusted my twist out method for a braid out.  For my braid out, I braided my hair and two stranded twisted the ends. I used Shea Moisture on wet hair and sealed the ends with shea butter.

I put coconut oil on my braids and took them down. What the french toast?!  FAIL! Thumbs WAY down. 

Whenever my curls look funny, I pull them close together. It creates a great illusion. So I separated my braids into smaller curls and pulled them into a puff using a headband.  (Check out this video tutorial by bronzeqt.)  I then put Carol Daughter's Some of Marguerite's Magic on the front and laid it down with a head wrap.

And voila!  I got dressed and then dressed up my puff with a headband.  [Refer to "In medias res"]

Day 2

Day 3 (not pictured)  It shrunk and got a little frizzy so I randomly twisted large sections of my hair and sealed the ends with shea butter. The next day I moisturized with CD's Marguerite's Magic, Mimosa Hair Honey, and jojoba oil. (There was no method to my madness. I just put product on until it felt and looked right)

Day 4 - The results of my big random twists. Love!

 Day 5- My hair is the frizzness. Time to redo.  That night I dampened my hair, and rebraided using the original method. 

Does anyone else have any braid out tips? Please feel free to share!