{"id":5983,"date":"2022-06-20T02:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T07:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/?p=5983"},"modified":"2025-11-20T13:25:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T19:25:27","slug":"4-things-to-know-before-enrolling-in-culinary-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/value-of-culinary-education\/4-things-to-know-before-enrolling-in-culinary-school\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Important Things to Know Before Starting Culinary School"},"content":{"rendered":"

While you don\u2019t need to be an expert cook to enter culinary school, there are a few things that may be helpful to know before you don your coat and enter the kitchen.<\/p>\n

By understanding a few lesser-known aspects of culinary school, you may be able to skip a few surprises (and some potential embarrassment) and start your education off on the right foot.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, here are five important things to know before starting culinary school.<\/p>\n

1. There\u2019s More to Culinary School Than Cooking<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s true\u2014a large part of culinary school focuses on exploring the culinary skills and techniques<\/a> required to become comfortable in the kitchen. As a culinary school student, you might spend time exploring how to properly hold a chef\u2019s knife, dice onions into uniform pieces, and create a creamy risotto.<\/p>\n

However, don\u2019t think you\u2019ll spend all your time in the kitchen working with ingredients. Students in Escoffier\u2019s Culinary Arts degree programs<\/a> may also explore concepts including kitchen management, food safety, entrepreneurship, menu design, and foodservice math and accounting.<\/p>\n

By becoming familiar with these concepts, you may become comfortable interacting with staff and managing finances as well as crafting new dishes and pairing ingredients.<\/p>\n

As a student at Escoffier, you may have opportunities to explore where your food comes from during the Farm To Table\u00ae Experience<\/a>. As you tour farms and talk with growers, you can develop a greater understanding of how food is produced and how different production methods affect taste and quality. Just don\u2019t be afraid to get your hands dirty!<\/p>\n

2. Utilize Your Talented Chef Instructors<\/h2>\n

While attending culinary school, students can appreciate start-to-finish instruction while preparing dishes. The Chef Instructors<\/a> at Escoffier are celebrated in the industry for their culinary achievements as well as for their compassion and humility.<\/p>\n

At first, it may be a bit intimidating to learn from such talented individuals, especially if you\u2019re entering culinary school without much kitchen experience. However, it won\u2019t be long before you may realize that your instructors are there to help you succeed on the road to becoming a chef.<\/p>\n\"Smiling\n

Escoffier Online Culinary Arts<\/a> graduate Arnold Safari explains, \u201cThe quality of chef instructors is so good. It\u2019s very personal, they really join hands with you one-on-one, they talk to you, and they walk you through every step of the program. I could reach out to any Chef Instructor whenever I needed.\u201d*<\/p>\n

But you don\u2019t have to take a student\u2019s word for it. As Chef Instructor Cesar Herrera says, \u201cWhat I love most about my job is seeing my students progress week after week, and to share the knowledge I once got from my mentors with my students.”*<\/p>\n

So when you enter culinary school, don\u2019t be hesitant in reaching out to your instructors with questions. Not only can they help you refine your skills and techniques, but you may also find an instructor willing to serve as a culinary mentor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Essential Culinary Career Survey<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

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What's your ideal culinary career: Fine dining? Your own restaurant? Pastry? Get our self-evaluation survey to find out!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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