Drainy,
That’s why I said you need to learn. Have a girlfriend over and have her teach you how to do french braiding on your own.
It’s a matter of talking you through it rather than her actually doing it.
But the cool thing is, once you learn you can do it on your own and do it the night before and wake up with waves in your hair.
I believe that keeping your hair longer (not as long as I have it) but longer means you have more options. 'Specially in the summer when it’s hot you can pull all that shit off your neck and you feel cooler. In the winter, your hair is long enough to keep your neck warm.
But that’s just me.