Business Degree?

[foleyisgood]

I was getting yelled at by my mother and she is basically saying that I need to get a business degree before I go to culinary school for her to support me.

I have 2 years of liberal arts classes under my belt, but quite frankly I am hating it and really want to get into culinary school now. So whats the verdict from the pro chef's? Do I REALLY need to spend my next 2 years to get a business degree or is basically useless?

[Chefjake54]

Well, it is my opinion(me dropping out of culinary school due to lack of any good learning after 2 semesters) that the business degree will be much more valuable and marketable than a culinary degree. Learning to cook comes with experience, whether you have culinary school or not. You will still have to put time in as a prep cook and build your skills. Business school is something all chefs need to do(including my self). Once again, in my opinion, it is easy to cook and make good food that people like, on the other hand, it is difficult to build a business and market that business into what you want, something that can successfully run itself while you are sipping drinks on the beach in mexico.(thats my dream)...fyi->all coming from somebody who aspires to go to business school.

[m brown]

look at the community college near you. go for the degree for culinary and for hospitality & Foodservice management along with business sprinkled in.
You can get a lot more for your money there!

[phoenix 12]

Originally Posted by foleyisgood

I was getting yelled at by my mother and she is basically saying that I need to get a business degree before I go to culinary school for her to support me.

I have 2 years of liberal arts classes under my belt, but quite frankly I am hating it and really want to get into culinary school now. So whats the verdict from the pro chef's? Do I REALLY need to spend my next 2 years to get a business degree or is basically useless?

So, move out, and pay your own way. Maybe if you used those first two years for culinary there wouldn't be an issue.

Mike

[boar_d_laze]

Graduate. A Bachelors degree is sooooooooooo not useless. You may never use what you learn in classes, but in this country it makes a huge difference in social class. It makes working as a chef a career-choice based on love rather than a job based on necessity.

6 months ago I might well have told you to declare independence, get a job and work your way through culinary school. You can always get a degree later. In fact, in some ways it's easier -- if you can afford it. Cutting the strings, growing up, all that stuff... It's really the next, most important part of your life.

Sometimes though being grown up means being honest about the opportunities offered. Look around you. Look at what the economy is like. This isn't something that's going to go away in the next few months. I wouldn't count on a lot of good restaurant jobs being available for a few years. In fact, the industry will likely be one of the first and most severely injured casualties of the poor economy. If you can spend another couple of years sheltered from the job market, you're probably better off taking them now and postponing trade school until after you've got your degree. In a couple of years the recession caused by mismanagement of the real-estate, financial and oil sectors should shake itself out. Eventually, we should be back on the road to recovery. Don't kid yourself. It's going to take most of that time. At least. The up-scale restaurant business is not the place to point yourself right now. It will be again, and until then food won't go away.

Also, it seems likely that as a response to the economy a Democratic administration will reform the old system and create a new system of student loans making trade education relatively affordable. Let mom pay for your BA now. It's what she wants. You and Uncle Sammy can pay for chef school later if that's what you want.

This time Mom is right.
BDL

[*Le*]

I had originally planned to go to Culinary School, but decided to get a business degree instead. I am working on that now. I just figured the experience on the cook part would have to be something I taught myself anyway. My plan is to start my own business (restaurant) so I am going to start building my menu plans and such while working on my business degree.
I also have to pay my own way thru school. It's much more worth it to me then relying on someone else.

[CoolCook]

Go for the Business Degree... or a culinary degree with a heavy business focus. That's what I decided when I was in your position.

[*Le*]

totally off subject i know... but i like the beginning of your blog coolcook. I have one also, but needs be to updated. I= the suck at writing on it.

[bandit]

Or if you don't agree, its time to move out and pay your way.

[Aguaviolet]

I was in the same boat, but I went to school and got my business degree and now I'm in the proccess of enrolling in culinary school. It is so much easier now because I don't have to take the gen eds and I have business education that I will use when I open up my own shop. At the time I thought I was wasting time, but now I'm glad I got it.