School is not as important as you may think, especially for something like Culinary.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to go to school and learn all the various tricks and tips, as well as gain the experience of working in a “real” kitchen. My girlfriend goes to Culinary school and is in her second semester now. She has learned a lot of various things including the various terms, how to use spices, and every thursday they had an actual lunch where outside people from the city could come in and have a 3 course lunch. It teaches them how to work fast in a limited time frame and make sure people are happy not only with the taste, but the presentation and speed.
Of course, you don’t need this to get a good job. If you have not worked in the food industry at all yet, then college will help you get your foot in the door, as employers will be more inclined to hire someone who has a degree then someone who has nothing. Of course, if you have experience already, you are more likely to get in without a degree, but a degree will help in giving you that extra push.
It’s all about how motivated you are. If you are not feeling Culinary school because you are just lazy, then you won’t find a good job anyways. If you are just not feeling it because you feel constricted, can’t learn the way they are teaching you and so on, then maybe going your own way is the right thing for you. If you are a motivated, smart individual then you can do whatever you want, it just takes a lot of hard work and time.