(Ahhh... a conversation near & dear to my heart! Dear firends- I am really short on time this morning but I very much want to contribute some ideas to this thread, so forgive me for not composing a new, polished original piece. Instead, in the interest of time, I have cut/pasted bits from 4-5 pieces I've posted elsewhere on this subject. I really need to take the time to trim and shape it better- as you read it you'll find many strange bounce-abouts and possible repeated passages- but please accept my haphazard post, if you will! winks- k.)
In my opinion the cooking field is one of the last remaining where a degree or education isn't absolutely necessary.
But, let me plainly state that IF one is meant to succeed in kitchens and IF they tend to be geared toward classroom learning environments, I then think school is an excellent option. But formal education is NOT best for all. I know MANY who spent good money on expensive school and working alongside of them- you would never know it. And I know MANY who don't even have a high school diploma who are absolutle culinary scholars and geniuses.
I dropped out of culinary school the first time a tuition bill came in the mail and I knew I'd have trouble making the payment. I was working at the same time I was attending school, and quitting school freed-up more time for me to take on over-time hours, thus increasing my income!
Honestly, I've got to say upfront that a chef's wage is pretty modest (ie; damned low!) compared to many other fields unless you're in very large mega-hotels or very rare & specialized fields... especially when one weighs the hours required. (I don't mind sharing that as an executive chef I've made as little as $28,000.00 a few short years ago, to as much as $65,000.00. in Alaska where wages are much higher than average... and I have never had a chef position where I worked fewer than 80 hours per week w/ maybe ONE day off per week.) So it's important to know beforehand that not only will anyone who wants to be a chef be extremely over-worked, they will also be underpaid. If one can accept that- then they can venture a wee bit further into exploring whether or not it's their cup of tea.
Now, w/ all the bad crap outta the way, I can honestly say that I was built for cooking and food is my one true love. It's why I was put on this earth. I have no other skills- no other capabilities other than finding my way in a kitchen among pots & pans. It's a fantastic creative outlet- my mind and body thrive on the odd, unusual stresses of kitchens, and I absolutely love, love, love it. (I should note here that after working in kitchens for 25 years since the age of 14- I "retired" from cooking last March- for many reasons, but in part to cure a little burn-out. So- I cannot stress enouigh the severe demands- and the toll that it takes on folks- even someone like me whoe LOVED it, so...)
I have done it all- I've worked in restaurants, hotels and country clubs- as well as cruise ships, wilderness resorts, BandB's and an electronics laboratory... But believe it or not- with all the upscale fancy gigs I've had, the job that paid the best money was being a camp chef in Alaska working only 2/3 of the year on a 4-weeks-on/2-weeks-off rotation schedule, I am more than happy with the generous salary I earn and in fact I don't think I could ever return to working in restaurants back in the "real world" where the hours are generally slightly less resulting in lower paychecks. I gave up a lot by side-stepping out of fine dining, as now I cook for a far less sophistocated meat-and-potatoes crowd, but I get far more time off, and I probably make 40-50% more annually now than I did at country clubs and onboard vessels and at resorts owned by a cruise ship company.
School is a great choice for some... but not for all. And keep this in mind... although things are changing with more and more culinary school graduates being turned out each year- many instructors still even today have no degrees themselves! As in many fields- experience is definitely the BEST teacher!
I'm a 41 yr. old chef who's made his home in kitchens since the age of 14. I hold no degree- but I do not call myself "self-taught" as who I am today and my cooking style and kitchen habits are very much a product of compiled learning benefacted to me by hundreds of others. While my background is mainly hotels, resorts and country clubs, I now find myself working for a commercial contract-caterer that provides kitchen staffs to remote-site Alaskan work camps. For the last few years I have cooked at and managed camps for the mining, commercial-fishing and oil industries in all corners of beautiful Alaska- and I love it! Originally from the mid-west, I hope to retire to the mountians of North-Western North Carolina and support myself in my old age by food-writing.
Terrific news Francie!!! My step-daughter graduated from the Culinary Institute in New York, and we swap ideas all the time, and Eddie calls her quite often to ask "How do I?" questions. 
