The Real Cost of an Education

I think all my classmates must be rich. You almost have to be, to come to the best cooking school in the world and live in one of the most expensive cities in the world. No one, it seems, complains about prices. No one seems at all fazed by anything, actually.

Am I the only one shocked by it all?

I'm lucky to have received a full scholarship, but as far as I know, no one else has. There are only two per year, for anyone in the world who wants to apply and the chances of the second scholarship recipient being in my group is slim. The cost of tuition is astonishing, as is the cost of living. Apartments and food are astronomically priced. Still, there are 60 students in pastry alone. About 85 percent of them are Japanese, another 15 percent are Indian and the other five percent of us are Americans. So does that mean there are a lot of wealthy Japanese and Indians with a penchant for sweets? I'm not really sure.

I do know that one of my friends went to UC Berkely, wants to take her next course in Sydney, Australia (why not?) and her parents are currently touring Europe, having just eaten at the coveted Alain Ducasse in Monaco. Something tells me she's not pinching pennies. When my parents and I went to France, we ate bread and cheese on the grass beneath the Eiffel Tower. A beautiful lunch, Ellis style.

Another girl admitted to taking this course as a hobby. Her partner is a lawyer working in London for a few months and all they do is go to Michelin starred restaurants and the theatre. "I decided to come here because, really, what was I going to do for 3 months, shop?" she said. Wow.

Yes, I saved and worked six jobs to be able to have money to live on, but my bank account is vanishing with each breath I take. I don't go out to eat. I've only had falafel and cheap noodle dishes since I arrived. I've been cooking the rest of the time. If I go out to eat, I have to plan for it in my weekly budget, but none of my classmates seem to bat an eye at the idea. Amazing.

No matter what, though, I am getting a phenomenal education in more than just pastry. You can't really put a price on anything I've been learning and discovering. It's been truly brilliant thus far. Will I keep complaining? Probably. Would I trade this experience for anything in the world? Not a chance!