Chapter 93: Admissions (1/2)
The group relaxed in the modest, yet well appointed carriage. Elaine was playing with Audra while a jealous Sera looked on. Mike, meanwhile was in the process of talking to Broderick, who turned out to be a student at the University, himself.
”So, I have a letter of recommendation, but I don't know much about the admissions process. What sort of steps are involved?” Mike was asking.
”That depends a great deal on what department or departments you are applying to. Have you already chosen your course of study?” He asked patiently, with a gentle smile on his face as he watched his sister feeding Audra bits of dried meat. Elaine was ecstatic when the dragon licked the palm of her hand after finishing the most recent bite.
[Looks like a bit of a siscon. Seems like a decent enough fellow, though.]
”I'm afraid I am a little uninformed. Could you, perhaps, remind me what departments are available to choose from? Also, do you mean to suggest that you can apply to multiple departments simultaneously?”
Looking slightly surprised at Mike's ignorance, the noble started explaining. ”The University is divided into five sections, each of which governs one of the major areas of study. First, there is the Finance Department, whose lessons are geared towards students who will be working with money in the future. They cover everything from topics like accounting and mathematics, to business management and geopolitical economics. In order to study there, one must pass a lengthy written exam testing basic knowledge followed by an interview. Coincidentally, this is the department I am studying in.”
[While it could be useful, I really don't want to spend my time in a fantasy universe studying math.]
”Second is the Military Arts Department, which I assume would be your choice. It focuses on a combination of personal strength, martial skill development, and leadership in a effort to prepare the next generation of generals and officers. Supposedly, their entrance examination consists of a series of challenges designed to test your physical abilities and and your moral fiber. I'm afraid I don't know much beyond that.”
[Interesting. I could benefit a great deal from enhancing my physical abilities. I wonder if there are any leadership related skills?]
”Third is the Sciences Department, which is dedicated to understanding the mysteries of the world. They work with the Magic Department, which I will explain in a moment, to investigate and classify everything from natural phenomena, to monster biology, to magical abnormalities.”
He paused for a moment, pondering, ”I am probably being a bit misleading. In truth, their collaboration with the Magic Department is relatively minor and tinged with a great deal of tension. The mages tend to view non-mages as inherently unable to comprehend the complexities of magic, while the Sciences Department thinks that the Magic Department is too bound in tradition to properly explore the truly vast field of magical studies.”
A flash of anger appeared on Broderick's face, before subsiding. ”Anyway, their admissions test consists of a written exam and a practical exercise of some type.”
[I see he obviously has some strong feelings about this topic.]
”So, I suppose I better speak on the Magic Department. I surmise you have an idea of their course of study. Students learn about magic theory, master their individual magical skills, and assist the faculty in researching magic. A branch office of the Mage's Guild serves as advisory body to the department's leadership, but technically, it is an independent of their direct oversight. This makes the University one of the few places in Ea you can fully study magic without joining the guild. It is also one of the simplest to join, as a mere demonstration of a suitably developed magical talent is usually sufficient.”
[That's where I need to go, from the sounds of it.]
”Finally, there is the Arts department. I know what you must be thinking, but it is considered a legitimate field of study amongst nobles, especially female nobles. They offer a number of courses concerning music, theater, painting and drawing, sculpting, poetry, literature, and the like. Unfortunately, they have a rather sordid reputation. It seems this department tends to attract students without any real ambition. Ones who attend merely to please their families. That said, they still have a rather strict admission process, requiring prospective students to submit a piece of original work to be judged by the faculty. I've heard that you'll at least need a high ranking Tier 1 artistic skill to have any real chance of success.”
[Not something I'm particularly interested in, but interesting nonetheless.]
”As to your question regarding applying to multiple departments, it is indeed possible to do so. However, it is generally seen as a mistake. Every so often, some new student will try to graduate from two courses of study at once, but they usually fail.”
”Too much for them to handle?” Brenden asked speculatively, proving that he had not been sleeping despite having his eyes closed.
”Partially, but its more like the faculty of each department has a tendency to get jealous. Unless a student is particularly gifted, they will often discriminate against anyone trying to graduate from multiple departments.”
[Wouldn't be a human organization without some kind of petty discrimination.]