Is Bartending School a waste of money and how old should you be?

I am interested in being a bartender ( I just turned 16 this summer)

So, I intend on going to college, so I figured the best way to plan this out ahead of time is to get a job such as bartender as opposed to working as a

sales clerk at McDonalds or Footlocker or something, , (lol)

I want to make a steady income before I attend College in the fall of 2010.

And is it really smart to go to Bartending school, or would it be better to just buy a book and save the $500? (for the course)

(Or does it costs $500? And how long is the course?)



I've heard people say that they wasted thier money going to bartending school and never pursued it....



Not to toot my own horn, but I figured since Im an attractive girl with a very animated personality, (as cliched as it sounds) I'm thinking maybe I could get hired fast.....



Ok, before I ramble on some more

Here are my questions.....



(1 In your opinion is going to Bartending school a waste of time?

(2. Can I be 18 and serve drinks? (In Michigan)

(3. How much are the courses and how long are they?

(4. Does bartenders usually have flexible schedules?

(5. Do they get hired alot?Is Bartending School a waste of money and how old should you be?
I think there are some good courses for Bartending -- I recently did some wine courses that were very good. 500 seems a reasonable price for a week or so course.



I dont think you should pay for a course yourself if you are only looking for casual work, you can probably get a job without it (mostly its serving beer from a tap, no complex wine serving and cocktails at most bars), and let your employer pay if they want you to get more skills. I paid for myself, but that was because I was interested, not to get into the industry.



Bar tenders will normally earn a wage, but they should be able to get a large proportion of their income from tips, depending on location and local customs/traditions of tipping.



A good bartender, in a good bar can make decent money, but it is unlikely to ever get you a ferrari and a yacht, if you get what I mean.