u/Metalhead80085

I am at a very tough decision right now. I’ve been wanting to go into hair for all of highschool. Right when I was about to graduate I got discouraged because everyone around me was telling me how horrible of a decision it was going to be for me and how I was going to regret it 100% and how I couldn’t do it or be successful at it. I’ve been working minimum wage for the past 6 months and decided that i’m tired of kinda doing nothing with my life so i’ve decided to do the thing i’ve been wanting to do.

The local trade school/community college near me has a cosmetology program that starts in January, lasts an about year, and is only 5k. Called them yesterday after I had sent in my application a couple weeks ago and when I called yesterday they informed me that because the program only has like 20-30 spots it filled up a loooong time ago and their next start will be in august, 11 months from now.

So I looked at other schools and the only one within an hour drive of me is Empire Beauty School. I went for a tour a week or 2 ago and it seemed pretty good. The program is 10 months long, but it is 20k. That is ALOT of money for me. Because of my parents income I only qualify for 1k at most for federal student aid (They are semi-supportive but just because they make 100k a year combined doesn’t mean they can help me with schooling, most nights we’re eating hamburger helper) I can apply for scholarships and a student loan once i’m enrolled but

It kinda leaves me with the question Do I want to pay 20k so I can start school within a month? Or Should I just wait the amount of time it would take me to get my license to start school so it’ll only be 5k?

Very tough decision would like to know what yall think, also I would like to hear opinions on Empire, it seemed pretty okay but i’ve heard stuff online.

I have 3 cats, (2 male, 1 female) and 4 dogs. My house is sectioned off with a doggy-gate in the middle of it so that one section the dogs and can roam and the other section the cats can roam. For the past couple of months 2 of my male cats have strictly been on the dog side of the house on the kitchen table (which is not big enough for 2 cats t spend their entire day there.) and only go back to the cat side to eat/drink/poop. The 2 cats don’t get along with the dogs and will both hiss at them whenever they walk past. (which is why my house has the 2 sections.) One of my cats has even shown stress-related behavior(?) and will pick his fur out. I’ve had all of them for 8+ years and nothing has changed in my house to start this. All 3 have always been able to coexist with each other, my female cat might hiss at them sometimes but overall they at-least tolerated each other.
I can tell that both of my cats don’t like spending all day on a table scared of the dogs on the floor beneath them and it’s taking a toll on them but what can I do to help them want to stay on their side of house where they’ve happily been for the past 8 years?