How Hard is Culinary School? A Student's Perspective

A meeting with destiny

I stumbled across Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland through an online advertisement. Intrigued, I clicked on it, closed the tab, and forgot completely about a possible culinary future. I remember thinking, I’m an excellent student so why would I consider a profession in the culinary arts? There is no future in that – oh how wrong I was then!

My education plans were firm. I had planned to move to London, England and study in a completely different field. But everything changed very sharply on a trip to Switzerland with my mother.

 

I have travelled a lot of the world in my life, but the only place in the world where I feel absolute peace, harmony and tranquillity is Switzerland.

I remember walking around Geneva, my only company Ludovic Einaudi in my headphones, when something incredibly strong in my head told me, "I have to stay in Switzerland". I had always wanted to be a cook. My grandfather was a chef, I had been cooking since childhood, but the possibility that I could actually follow this path only truly occurred to me that day in Geneva. I had a flashback to that day four years prior  and remembered Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland. I jumped on the train to go visit the campus. The students were on vacation at the time but the administrative staff were still working which was lucky for me.

I decided to join the school six days before the start of the semester. I still can’t believe that it happened this way – but determination is a strong force.

 

How to apply: the accelerated version

For admissions, they required a high school diploma, copies of my permits, a letter of motivation and my CV. I rushed everything to the admissions team and they were very impressed with my academic performance and motivation to study at their institution.

Reasonable people would have submitted these documents at least a couple of months in advance. Since I had studied at an international school, my English was already fluent and I didn’t have to take the IELTS (International English proficiency test). All foreign students need to have a level of at least 5.5 since the training, of course, takes place in English.

I have never regretted chosing Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland in such a spontaneous and abrupt way. It has turned into one of the best decisions of my life. I adored my studies, teachers, subjects, and of course Switzerland!