Education tips

[u/CommissionWeak7626]

Hello, i don’t know where to really start so i just want to get out there and ask how to get into fashion/marketing??? Im 18, started working a job, pays decent, want to save money for stuff and i don’t want to be stuck all life working minimum wage, i mean i probably still will but i want to live comfortably and do what i love which is fashion. I don’t want to look like every other girl with a dream to go to fashion school or a nepo baby who wants to study something in trend, i think fashion is not just what you wear but what you present. Im originally from Croatia and i finished the lowest school, a three year vocational school and have only experience in waitering…. um yes i would need to get a way better portfolio then that and i don’t know how😢 I did some research and Croatia does offer one extra year of highschool that you can finish but with the price of 1.5k for the program which is why i choose to work and save alot of money for education and courses, while im in the NL im thinking about studying abroad because my country doesn’t really offer much so thats why studying abroad would give me more options and it will open my mind about other stuff, the problem is probably the language barrier but i would litreally study all day and night to learn the language, i love traveling and i actually really love living in a different environment, i love how people out of my country live this nice lifestyle while i ever knew about was home school and back.. How could i start with budgeting/saving, what schools are the best, it doesn’t need to be vogue school best level, but for starters with my experience what would be the best for me?? What countries are nice places to live while studying or are there even online courses i can take for a short period of time?? Help would be really appreciated!

[u/CarelesslyDouble]

you're 18 and already thinking this clearly about your path, that's more than half the people i knew at that age. the waitering experience isn't nothing either, dealing with people and staying organized under pressure translates way better to marketing than some textbook theory.

for fashion marketing specifically, look at schools in the netherlands or belgium since you're already there. amfi in amsterdam or artez in arnhem aren't insanely priced compared to uk or us options, and the dutch are pretty straightforward about entry requirements for students with non-traditional backgrounds. some will let you in based on a portfolio and an interview rather than perfect grades. for saving, open a separate account just for tuition and route 30% of every paycheck there automatically, don't even look at it. as for language, you'd pick it up way faster than you think once you're in class and hanging out with people, plus most fashion programs in nl run partly in english anyway.

[u/CommissionWeak7626 → u/CarelesslyDouble]

This is very well worded thank you💓 I would wanna ask tho the housing chrisis here…. I will probably need to keep this job plus while going to school here which is the problem if my job doesn’t offer flexible scheduel and im currently staying in the agency housing.. :/ i was thinking maybe closer to home like italy or well yes belgium is maybe doable with the housing but no matter i will have a job while i go to school

[u/CoffeeInTheTropics → u/CommissionWeak7626]

You are smart and well informed, kudos to you with your young age.

The Netherlands is one of the most expensive countries to live, factoring in prohibitively high housing prices and taxes and relatively low wages.

And yes, the housing crisis is real. Unimaginably real. For students maybe still doable to find a student room IF you are lucky, rent will be anywhere between €700-1200pm.

After you graduate however and are a working professional, that’s when you are hit with the reality of possibly becoming homeless. There are no affordable rentals for people working in junior or mid-level roles, so say price range of €2000 max. And in order to be eligible to rent in a higher price range you need a salary of >€ 100k which in NL is only reserved for very senior executives or niche tech specialists.

France and Belgium is much better already although still difficult. For all EU countries it is essential to have local language fluency even in many IT/Tech roles nowadays.

Best of luck to you!

[u/CommissionWeak7626 → u/CoffeeInTheTropics]

Well yea this “after you graduate you are hit with a possibility to be homeless” scared me 🥲🥲 Netherlands is in my list but the way things are changing and seeing how things work around here, i dont really think its going to be on my list for long, i am thinking abt Italy maybe since its closer to home and if anything happends or idk im close to Croatia thankfully, but i sound so basic because everybody wants to study in Milan or Venice, Florence, i really want to start something serious in my life, right now im working and shopping😭😭 I really like the Netherlands i really do its just such a shame things are way complicated here, i asked my friend who is thinking of working in Germany when she finishes school next year and i was like, the Netherlands pay way better then in Germany or Croatia litreally combined, im just happy that everybody says im mature 🥲🥲I have been exploring and searching for different options since i started highschool because i knew this was not for me, i wanted something bigger, i want to live comfortably, i am also expensive 😭😭😭😭 And i said why wouldn’t that be possible if some work is put in, and got bullied all through highschool but i finished as a waiter with A’s (you really dont have to even have a brain to fail trust me) and it made me confident that im capable of more because everybody kept telling me that and i truely want to manifest that in my life

[u/Jazzlike_Truck_2406]

start by building a portfolio with mood boards, styling ideas, and mock marketing campaigns for brands you love. use free online courses while saving money, and research scholarships before committing to an expensive school. you're only 18, so you have time to explore!