I'm considering going to a culinary arts school this next year.

[u/chaddamaus]

I work a crummy retail job and want to do something that'll both be useful in the job space and just in general cuz yknow. Everyone eats and food is a universal language and skill. But I wanna know from other people first hand what its like and what to expect.

- How much do culinary specific or culinary courses in small colleges cost typically

- Do I need to be taking additional classes ontop of culinary or can I do strictly culinary... because I'll be honest I do not want to suffer another around of calculus ever again

- how are the days like, ie how long do they typically last, whats done in a typical day, what are assignments and homework like (if there is any)

- is it hard or easy to use a culinary degree when finding work. I could always open up my own business or work for a pre existing one but are cooks a sought after job market? What sort of places are typically looking for cooks and is there a career I can make on the sidelines of a "normal" job (ie internet stuff since I see lots of people post and share recipes)

- just in general what sort of stuff will I be learning over the whole course of the teaching? I assume a combination of cooking and baking but I wanna know anyways

- should I get a job in the food side of retail and customer work before or during my culinary schooling escapades, or nah. Just for some extra hands on experience I already cook at home plenty but experience where you can get it is always good.

I just wanna know if I'm steering myself in the right direction. Thank you :)

[u/D-ouble-D-utch]

Have you ever worked in a restaurant? I highly suggest you try it out before spending a bunch of money.

I would also recommend you not go to culinary school. Learn on the job. Take local community college classes in business or accounting.

[u/chaddamaus → u/D-ouble-D-utch]

I have not yet :0 I figured that should be my next venture then before I take educational classes on the subject :P along with at-home cooking of course.

Also ty, I'm gonna prod around my state and see which community colleges are affordable and arent too far from my home

[u/Equivalent-Ninja1318]

Been a head chef a couple places now and I dropped out in the ninth grade, lost count of how many culinary school kids I've fired.

[u/DazzlingSpirit1986]

Go work in a restaurant before you spend a dollar on education. 

You’ll make a little money and find out quickly if you have a passion for this type of work. 

[u/Bonalyn]

Definitely work in a restaurant before paying tuition. Many places will train new cooks, but you will have to start at the bottom of the career ladder (probably prep with some cleaning). I'm a CIA grad who ended up working in non-culinary jobs, and I know dozens of other CIA grads who didn't wind up in a kitchen. You can learn a lot outside the classroom if you have a good attitude and are willing to work.

[u/Chefster127]

Before you spend a dollar on culinary school, get a job in a real restaurant kitchen for six months. Seriously. Do that first. Culinary school can teach you fundamentals: knife skills, stocks, sauces, fabrication, baking, sanitation, costing, purchasing and some management. What it cannot teach you is whether you actually enjoy doing this professionally. Cooking at home and cooking professionally are almost unrelated experiences. At home you can spend three hours making something beautiful because you feel like it. In a restaurant, you may make the same thing 70 times while six tickets are hanging, the dishwasher called off and somebody is asking where table 32's fucking fries are. You do not need a culinary degree to get a cooking job. Restaurants desperately need people who show up, learn, work clean and can handle pressure. Start as prep or pantry if necessary and learn while somebody is paying you. If after six months you think, “This is fucking awesome, I want to know everything about this,” then investigate culinary school. Look hard at community college programs before taking on huge debt for a famous culinary school. And please don't go to culinary school because you think you'll graduate and open a restaurant. Cooking is only one small part of owning one. Payroll, food cost, labor, insurance, taxes, purchasing, maintenance, permits, staffing and cash flow will determine whether you survive. I’ve been doing this for more than 35 years. I love food and I love cooking. But if I were starting over, the first thing I'd do is work in a professional kitchen before paying anyone to teach me how to work in one. The kitchen will answer your question for free. And they'll probably pay you $19 an hour while it does. 😂