Is going to bartending school necessary to be a bartender in DC?

Because I don't have enough money to pay for school, I'm pursuing bartending for this semester! I have no prior experience serving drinks so I wanted to know is it worth paying $600 for bartending school to work at a club or restaurant! Serious opinions and answers please!!

Thank You!Is going to bartending school necessary to be a bartender in DC?
Bartending school anywhere is not a good idea and not worth the money.

Think about it:

WITHOUT bartending school, you start off as a bar back (basically a bartender's assistant), and you'll learn everything about being a bartender from that.

WITH bartending school, you still start off as a bar back (they won't hire you straight off as a bartender), and everything you just spent $600 learning, will be thrown out the window, because you're basically learning everything all over again.Is going to bartending school necessary to be a bartender in DC?
no, generally schools are a waste of money

its generally considered wiser either hosting a few parties, getting real-world experience



or start as a server/bar back, which is what most people get hired as to begin with anyway, with our without going to bar tending school... you then start getting handed more and more responsibilites when they see you able to handle them.