Recently, I asked Rike, a German au pair in our cluster what she thought of the Interior Design Two Weekend Program she completed through Sojourner Douglass College.  Here is a review she was kind enough to write for me. 

I can tell you that I really liked the two weekend classes! I would recommend it to every other Au Pair because you can get your credits in a short time and you can choose more than just one class.

Next to your main course, you have different other little classes you can attend. And you have a big choice so there is something for every flavor.

My main course was interior design which I really liked because next the theoretical part we were able to practice a lot. We learned how to create a floor plan with all the furniture, colors and lights. The homework for the second weekend was to make the same for a big family living room and then some of us had to present it. Next to this class, I picked for example digital photography, American holidays, travel Spanish, human development or yoga.

The teachers are very nice and really good and I never had the feeling to get bored although two full days of studying were very exhausting. The first day of study starts Saturday morning at 9am. Before that everybody arrives and gets their keys for the room. I liked the lodging a lot, the rooms are comfortable. You share it with another Au Pair.

At the first weekend I got to know one of the girls and we decided to take a room together for the second one. The food is also very good and abound. 😉 Between the classes you can always get a snack and there was a huge diversity for the main meals.

The studying part on Saturday ends at about 7 in the evening. After dinner there is a group activity with all Au Pairs and later they offer voluntary activities like karaoke or watching a movie. I didn’t join this because I was too tired. The second day also starts at 9am and basically ends at about 6pm.

The only thing I didn’t like was the homework (of course). We had to write a 5 page essay for both weekends and for the second one the floorplan in addition which was a lot of work and needed much time. But besides this, it is really worth it and for me it was better then to sit in a classroom one or to times a week or for a couple of hours at the weekends.