I'll be starting culinary school in September..?!

My very best advice is to have perseverence! At some point, as long as youre placing yourself in restaurants in which youll actually learn something, you will find yourself knee-deep in cases and cases of onions, tryingnot to cut your fingers off while streams of onion-induced tears are running down your cheeks in your 10th hour of work with no break. This will be the moment that you will want to stab the chef and walk out. And this will also be the moment that, if you stick it out, you will learn the most. Your first few years in the field will be tough, im not going to lie to you. And if theyre not tough, youre not where you should be. Choose where you apply for work based on the chef and his philosophies, not based on pay. Good pay will come later, as long as yiu play your cards right and work your butt off and learn as much as you can now. And take time out for yourself or you can get burned out quickly. And good luck!!!

Professional chef