Cooking school after going to college

[Jacqueline]

I'm 22 and recently graduated with my B.B.A. While in school I decided to attend culinary school but I made sure I finished college first. Many people thought I was crazy but I had to follow my dream - I went to school for the restaurant business and decided to expand into the culinary side of it. Now I am in NYC about to start Culinary School for Pastry Arts. So go for it!

[Kiel]

I don't know if it relates to this thread, but I was wondering...

If you took college like an undergraduate course in hotel management and then went to culinary school, would that be a good idea?

Thanks

[Cheech]

I don't know if this will help you, but if you have some sort of experience in a kitchen, and it sounds like you do, plus a business degree, you should not have much trouble moving up in a kitchen.

I worked with a guy that went to school for his business degree while working in our kitchen, and has since moved up and on.

Much of your culinary degree is business related anyway, and past that, you have two options for experience. 1) Go out and do things. 2) Go to school. I have found by doing both that going out into the field for the amount of time that it would take you to go to school will teach you much more, especially if you already have a degree in business...

[mikefly]

Ok i know im going to become the downer in this thread but, have any of you that are spending lots and lots of hours in school spent lots and lots of hours in a kitchen????
like 16-18 hours a day 6 days a week all hot and greasy knees hurting back aching and all a round being misrable!!
some of you that are in buisness schools planning on going to culinary school should really take 6 months and work in a high volume kitchen before you spend thousands of dollars on something that will probably get you close to the same postition in a kitchen as a year or two of work expeirence!!!!
i know when im hiring ill always take the more rounded person or even lean twords the more expeirenced....
just some things to consider before you jump in to it

[Magpie]

Originally Posted by mikefly

Ok i know im going to become the downer in this thread but, have any of you that are spending lots and lots of hours in school spent lots and lots of hours in a kitchen????
like 16-18 hours a day 6 days a week all hot and greasy knees hurting back aching and all a round being misrable!!
some of you that are in buisness schools planning on going to culinary school should really take 6 months and work in a high volume kitchen before you spend thousands of dollars on something that will probably get you close to the same postition in a kitchen as a year or two of work expeirence!!!!
i know when im hiring ill always take the more rounded person or even lean twords the more expeirenced....
just some things to consider before you jump in to it

Well I can't speak for the others, but as I posted in my original thread...I have worked in the food industry... full time (not 16-18 hour days however) for a while and actually do miss the hard work. And as for the miserabe feeling..I actually feel more miserable after spending the day sitting in front of a computer in a stuffy office than I ever did at the end of the day in a kitchen. But since it has been a while since I worked in the cooking field I would definately get a part time job in a kitchen again before spending the money on cooking school! Trust me I am not ready to rush in to getting even more in debt than I already am!

[mikefly]

i dont know how many times ive tried to quit this profesion!!!! and like you said i missed it i couldnt imagen doing anything else so if you truly in your heart love it then doit!!!!
and i dont mean to sound like a jerk or one of those angry chef's its just that ive worked with alot of people who should have spent there money on a different field of education as im sure any of the pro's on this forum have as well...so if in your heart you cant see your self doing anything else then i wish you the best of luck and maybe our path's will cross!!!!!!

[ZEN!!!]

It's been so long since i've been on this forum... It was nice checking on how this topic progressed and hearing what Columbus has gotten himself into. I figured that since I'm about to hit a personal milestone, I'd update a bit.

So I've now been working in the kitchen part time (averaging 33 hours/week, but doing upwards of 46 a few times) for over a year and a half. My debt is now gone. I've made myself a staple in the kitchen. I have also vested at my day job and plan to walk away in mid October, once I take care of all of my check ups that are covered by my Evil Corporation's insurance. Once I leave cubicle life, I plan on working for at least a year with my current restaurant to pay back my chefs for all they have taught me and to show them how much I appreciate them taking a chance on me. After that year is up, either I'll stick around another year to work the hot line or I'll pick up and go to school or go to work in Europe. I have a friend of a friend (unrelated to any of my friends that I met through the restaurant) who is a starred Chef in Europe. I can't wait to take the ride. Six more weeks and it begins for real.

[chefwannabe]

eh ako nga AB Interdisciplinary ang natapos oh well im thinking of proceeding to Law but mas malaki naman pera ang makukuha sa pagiging chef by the way am thinking if whats the best school for me di ko nga madecide kung sa CCA ba or sa ISCAHM

[frycook]

Hey magpie. I am in college right now as a travel and tourism major. I have switched my major 3 times in the last year, because i didnt have a clue what i wanted to do. But after thinking about what i really have enjoyed over the years. Which was being a frycook for a local resturant. I decided next year i want to go to culinary school, learn some skills and make a living from being a cook. I am glad i finnaly figured out what i want to do with my life. And Congradulations it sounds like you figured out what you want to do with yours. Now all you have to do is get out there and do it, dont worry about what other people think or what ever. You cant be going backwards if it is something you really want to do. Later man, and best of luck.