Is cooking/baking right for me?

You have to do what's right for you.  I'm not a cook in a restaurant or a baker, but my family did own a restaurant when I was growing up and I worked there everyday all through school.  The food industry is the hardest industry to work in in my opinion.  The hours are long, the pay is not great.  And forget about having friday and saturday nights free.  You'll be the guy working on Christmas, New year's eve, weekends and holidays. 

I find that being a "chef" now is glorified on television.  I wish I could tell you it would be glamorous but it's not.  It's hot in the kitchen and not everyone gets to be Mario Batali.  Think more along the lines of Hell's Kitchen contestants, that's a bit more real life people.  CIA is pretty expensive, no?

$118,803.00

That’s what it cost for a four-year degree

at CIA @ Hyde Park?

http://www.ciachef.edu/admissions/finaid/tuition_newyork.asp

That breaks down to $29,700.75/year

OH MY GOD!! 

That’s a lot of money, you could buy a house!

Hmmmmm…

What about at the end of the country?

http://kapiolani.hawaii.edu/object/costofattendance.html

$13350.00/year for a AS in Culinary Arts @ the University of Hawaii Kapiolani Campus (KCC) for a Non-resident

Both schools price point includes room and board,

supplies and books. 

UH-KCC also includes transportation and personal costs.

Hmmmmmmmm…

Whatever you want to do in your heart sweetie :) i say go for it, i'm also persuing a career in catering, i want to work for a company or resturant that organizes parties and events (doing it on my own has nothing in it for me to live off at all), cooking for sure is awesome :D i'm only 22 and i love to cook, do whatever you find fun to do.