What Do You Learn in Culinary School You Can't Learn on your Own?

It's become an age-old question: Learn on your own, or go get formal training? With the increase in online course offerings and the ability to learn pretty much anything by using apps on your phone, attending school for something you could study in your own kitchen might seem excessive. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In-class training in a formal, guided program is the route you want to take to become a chef, baker, or other food-services-related professional. Is it possible to learn to cook via videos and books? Of course -- but if you want to get that comprehensive education, a structured degree program is what you need.

Choosing a Path When You Know You Need Education

A common way into the world of kitchens and food is to start working at a restaurant and work your way up. Yet many people realize immediately that this is not the way they want to get into the business, and they know they need education. So then the choices are to study on one's own through books and watching videos -- maybe taking a local community cooking class, too -- or finding a culinary program and enrolling.

Learning Culinary Arts By Yourself: A Good Idea?

Let's look at self-study first. With YouTube, MOOCs, streaming, community classes, and several books available that describe everything from basic techniques to the magic ratios that let chefs adjust recipes with ease, it would seem that anyone could become a culinary wizard on their own time. Look at the food bloggers who have cookbooks out now and who appear on cooking shows; many started out as hobby bloggers. So you might ask yourself, "Why not you?"

Well, for one, all that information can lead to overload. Where do you start? Which way should you go? If you find conflicting information, who do you believe? In addition to overload, you have no idea if something on a blog or in a video is correct. It sounds great and looks great, but when you taste it, is that... really how it's supposed to taste? Did you make a mistake? Was there a typo in the recipe? Or maybe the recipe or advice was bad to begin with?

And in case you were wondering if going the direct-to-restaurant route could help this, maybe, maybe not. It depends on the kitchen culture, the willingness of the workers to help you, and the ability to move ahead. It's entirely possible that your kitchen time will be dishwashing and food chopping only, for years, if the restaurant heads don't think you have what they need.

Attending a Culinary School Program

Over in the formal-education corner, though, you have a set curriculum guided by professional chefs and other food-service workers who know what you really need to succeed. You're exposed to a wide range of techniques and cuisines and allowed to play a bit, all while getting the core education you need to move into most food-service fields.

Formal education teaches you to bake at high altitudes but also to budget for a small restaurant with thin margins. You learn about food safety -- something some food blogs and restaurants don't always teach (many are good, some are not) -- and how to run a safe, clean establishment.

Don't Forget the Networking

You're going to meet a lot of people in culinary school and forge a network that can help you for decades. Yes, you'd form a network at a restaurant or in a community class, too, but many people drop out of those and don't return. A formal program is full of dedicated students and teachers who will likely remain connected to the field for a long time.

Are you interested in learning culinary arts in a formal degree setting? If you want to learn more about earning an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts, ECPI University's Culinary Institute of Virginia offers this degree at an accelerated pace. For more information regarding this exciting program, connect with a helpful admissions advisor today.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

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