View Full Version : culinary school, anyone?
fieldbelow
01/30/10, 05:50 PM
I'm currently an undergrad at a four year college, woohoo English majors, and I've recently thought about attending culinary school for the past year (patisserie and baking) but I don't know much about it. I've done a little research online for some schools (CIA, Le Cordon Bleu programs) but I still don't really have a feel for it. I've still got some time to think about it, but I was just wondering if anyone out there has attended, is attending, or is planning to attend culinary school. Any words of advice? Stories? Thanks!
Hannah_
01/30/10, 06:21 PM
My college in Dublin, Ireland is the culinary arts school, as well as tourism and events. They have Patisserie courses I'm pretty sure.
Only one in Ireland.
www.dit.ie
fieldbelow
02/01/10, 02:58 PM
It looks really nice. What are you studying there? I never thought of going out of the country for me, but that's sounding like a really cool idea.
If you've got the heart for culinary then do it! though I don't think there is a lot of money in the field itself.
KidRobot
02/02/10, 04:04 AM
If you've got the heart for culinary then do it! though I don't think there is a lot of money in the field itself.
Uh.
Pretty sure people need to eat.
Michifoxx
02/02/10, 07:05 AM
Ive been kinda thinking aboit this as well...not sure if id actually go through with it though.
fieldbelow
02/03/10, 04:40 PM
Ive been kinda thinking aboit this as well...not sure if id actually go through with it though.
Really? Yeah, it kind of is a leap of faith for me...I don't know many, if any actually, who have gone through culinary school.
Uh.
Pretty sure people need to eat.
Haha, this is my argument to most people. I think if it all works out, the goal for me is to be able to open my own place. But that's years down the road assuming culinary school becomes a reality.
Michifoxx
02/03/10, 04:43 PM
Really? Yeah, it kind of is a leap of faith for me...I don't know many, if any actually, who have gone through culinary school.
Haha, this is my argument to most people. I think if it all works out, the goal for me is to be able to open my own place. But that's years down the road assuming culinary school becomes a reality.
Yea its kinda like you cook a really good meal and you think hey, maybe i can do this. I'll be a chef. But then you actually think about it..and its like nahhh.
KidRobot
02/03/10, 05:09 PM
Really? Yeah, it kind of is a leap of faith for me...I don't know many, if any actually, who have gone through culinary school.
Haha, this is my argument to most people. I think if it all works out, the goal for me is to be able to open my own place. But that's years down the road assuming culinary school becomes a reality.
Not quite culinary school but my brother in law has been a chef at Friday's since he was 18 and went to school for hotel and restaurant management. Now he is now the executive chef and owns 60% of a pretty upscale place in Jersey City and makes quite a bit. It seems like he went a much less risky, but similar path to what you're suggesting.
I started at Le Cordon Bleu in Boston at the beggining of January. Its kind of hectic at the moment due to them changing the way they're doing the schedule but i hear good things about the other ones. So far its been pretty easy, the one i go to has a block system where you have a class or two for three weeks straight, from 7- 12, 5 day a week, for 12 months straight then a 3 month externship. I wouldn't reccomend it if you heart isn't fully in it. I breezed through the first Culinary class but some people have taken it 2-3 times, but they're clearly there for the wrong reason. Also it is quite expensive, I'm paying $38,000 but that includes all you books, your knives, and your uniform. The people i go to school with are quite diverse, Ranges from ages and ethnicitys, people who have worked in the industry for 20+ to people who wanted to change jobs. It's what I'm truely passionate about so i think the money and intense schedule will be worth it.
bstthngunvrhd7
02/10/10, 09:01 PM
A friend of mine started out at C.H.I.C. in Chicago (before I met him) and he decided it wasn't for him part of the way through and because he had to pay the entire year up front, he was not able to get his money back. So if you are unsure of if you want to be there the entire year, make sure that you know what the refund policy is because he is paying for an education he never got.
p.s. and yes I do realize that it is something he should have looked into before doing it....
suchatragedyx
02/11/10, 01:40 PM
I love to cook and bake, and I'd love to be a pastry chef, only thing is I'm a super dedicated vegan, and I feel like the only way I could get a proper education in the field would be to sacrifice my ethics. Would there be any way to avoid that while attending a cooking school?
fieldbelow
02/13/10, 05:38 PM
I started at Le Cordon Bleu in Boston at the beggining of January. Its kind of hectic at the moment due to them changing the way they're doing the schedule but i hear good things about the other ones. So far its been pretty easy, the one i go to has a block system where you have a class or two for three weeks straight, from 7- 12, 5 day a week, for 12 months straight then a 3 month externship. I wouldn't reccomend it if you heart isn't fully in it. I breezed through the first Culinary class but some people have taken it 2-3 times, but they're clearly there for the wrong reason. Also it is quite expensive, I'm paying $38,000 but that includes all you books, your knives, and your uniform. The people i go to school with are quite diverse, Ranges from ages and ethnicitys, people who have worked in the industry for 20+ to people who wanted to change jobs. It's what I'm truely passionate about so i think the money and intense schedule will be worth it.
This was really helpful. Thanks! And you're liking it so far? You're not doing baking though, right?
This was really helpful. Thanks! And you're liking it so far? You're not doing baking though, right?
I'm going for an AOS in Culinary arts but I'm required to take Intro to Baking and Adv Baking, which im happy about. I start my second cooking class tomorrow!
anon4321
02/22/10, 06:09 PM
Culinary is a great way to go if you can cope with all the stress.
kdefrisc
02/22/10, 07:54 PM
I love to cook and bake, and I'd love to be a pastry chef, only thing is I'm a super dedicated vegan, and I feel like the only way I could get a proper education in the field would be to sacrifice my ethics. Would there be any way to avoid that while attending a cooking school?
It might be hard to avoid cooking meat and the like while at culinary school, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't force you to eat anything you didn't want to. Then once you got out you could cook whatever you wanted, and I think especially depending on the area you live in, Vegan restaurants are one of those specialized niches that can be very lucrative if done really well.
The number one thing I've been told about going to culinary school is that it's better to just go work for a restaurant and get a feel for it because it's long hours/low pay/no benefits.
And like any kind of educational program, you get what you put into it.
Wake Up
03/02/10, 07:17 PM
I knew this girl who went to culinary school. She got fat and I never talked to her again.
true story.
alpartyprogram
03/03/10, 05:41 PM
I want to go to culinary school. I'm closer to finishing up my bachelors degree now though. I've thought about going after college.
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