Mawada Elsid

My Educational Pathway

WHAT I NEED
For an interior designer, work cant be done without the completion of any and all previous
education needed (NCIDQ web). This job does not offer any on the job training so I need to complete
college before I can get my license and become one (ooh bls). A bachelors degree is needed in interior
design, and according to many job searches, a degree in architecture is important. Having this added to
my education will help in finding higher paying jobs in the future.

COLLEGES & REQUIREMENTS

A couple options for colleges in the near future are University of Northern Iowa and the Southern
Illinois University. Theyre perfect choices because theyre public, cheaper than most schools, close by,
and they both include a specific major for interior design. For UNI, the tuition fee is $8,309 and college
books and supplies are only $900. Money for room and board is $8,629. Its ACT score requirement is
between 20-25. It is fortunate, I must say, that the other college, SIU, is similar in its requirements to the
UNI. They both require me to take the ACT, with a close to similar score preference of 19-25, and they
both want students with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. For this option I would aldo need to pay for room and
board especially since this college is in Illinois (bigfuture).

SCHOLARSHIP & LICENSE

My ACT score does not only determine what college I am eligible for, but what scholarships I am
eligible for as well. If I am able to achieve a high score of 32, I could be eligible for special academic
scholarships like the presidential scholarship, but if thats aiming too high, there is another choice. That is
the scholarship from the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation which will give out a
maximum amount of $4,000. I am only eligible because of the Interior design major I will be taking (big
future). After successfully completing my education, my next step to becoming a successful interior
designer would be getting a license. I will do that by, for example, taking the NCIDQ exam that is held in
Des Moines, Iowa. The acronym, NCIDQ, stands for the National Council for Interior Design Qualification
and is designed to test if you are knowledgeable enough to start or keep working (NCIDQ web).

FUTURE JOB
Once I have gotten a license, I could start with an internship at a small interior design firm called
Jorje which is located in Chicago, Illinois. After the interning I would be allowed to work there full time and
as I progress in my skills, I will be able to move onto bigger firms. A big one I found was Interior Talents
Inc. The location is also in Illinois and they could use an interior designer who has studied architecture.
Not only that, but they will pay me $45,000 a year (indeed job search).