Chapter 125 - Lessons

A "Donk!" echoed through the empty training hall.

"Ugh!" I fell into the elemental plane of magma. Gwen rested her head on the table.

In front of her, there were two-meter-long glass windows, a clutter of pamphlets, a dozen course guides, and an old-fashioned video projector with a series of crystals capturing the history of Shanghai University.

Gwen's temples fluttered. Maybe the divination was full of holes, but every time she tried to sketch out her plans for the next three or four years, she felt a tingling chill run down her spine. "Of course, it's a warning sign," Gwen mused. But the risk pays off, right?

At different universities, with more than twenty different courses combined, Gwen felt her head hit the wall repeatedly.

The situation here is so different that she can't make a five-year plan.

In Australia, when a high school student completes high school and earns an Australian Higher Education Title, they are usually faced with four to five options and are allocated around their scores.

The old law allowed 95.99% of people to enter Australia.

In New Sydney, Mermaidgate is still lurking in flooded sewers, and the percentile required to get into top universities is similarly in the single digits.

Under Henry's tutelage, Gwen never doubted his qualifications for the elite. Similarly, Gwen did not consider the concept of course selection for two reasons. First of all, her master knows better than herself what course suits her talents. Second, there are not many options at the border.

The third level of spell major is basically an advanced spell course for mages who are interested in arcane theory, providing training for spells between levels 4-7. More combat-minded mages can take the Battle Mage course, which is a major course at the university that combines with compulsory military service to provide spell training for mages seeking long-term service in the border army.

That's it.

There are some subtle branches, sub-academies, magic schools of major, but as far as the curriculum is concerned, Gwen is in charge of her curriculum.

Other faculties affiliated with these universities only cater to career specialists, such as Spell Engineering, a course for abandonment and teleporters seeking to enter the fields of architecture, civil construction, and shield development. For those wishing to delve into the creation of magical items, there are advanced crafts, while rarer courses, such as mechatronics and techniques, are taken under the tutelage of nationally recognized masters, rather than as a public course.

Then there are some general classes as part of the mage's spell training. Accepting mage and doctorate degrees, this course offers a choice of core skills such as accounting, leadership, appraisal, animal husbandry, agriculture, geography, as well as more trivial content such as literature, music, and art. Other content is not taught by the university itself, but by individuals affiliated with the university, such as Otto Pharmacist at the University of Sydney.

But, as the smart, plane-jumping young Dorothy Gale once said to Toto, "We're no longer in Kansas." ”

The question that now plagues Gwen is how to choose a university, how to choose a course. Unlike the heavily censored frontier curriculum, Shanghai's elite universities have a group of world-class universities that require literacy and supplemental non-magical knowledge.

From her half-day study, Gwen had figured out the approximate scope for the future.

The first year is a comprehensive introductory course consisting of six compulsory mantra topics and two general study subjects, on the advice of one of the senior consultants.

The second year is when students are required to choose a major in their magical school and work in a specific field of study. For example, a deformer can select advanced structures in materials science. A summoner can choose energy manipulation and spell shaping, while a magician can choose media and communication or illusions in between, etc.

In their third year, students have the opportunity to study for a PhD or a renowned specialist in their field. Often, this is when students begin to make a name for themselves, taking on the role of apprentice, inventing signature spells, writing research papers on mysterious legends, discovering new species of magical creatures, or documenting new ways to kill and harvest existing creatures.

Postgraduate courses are also offered to students who wish to remain at the College and pursue extended research, at which point they will be assessed by the University and Academic Council for their potential and will eventually receive a stipend to promote the development of spells. Petra said that her path was in this direction, and that she hoped to become a scholar of the occult arts, rather than serving in the military or drowning herself in tower politics.

In addition, Gwen finally understood the meaning of the title Meister.

Meister is a mage, but not all mages can become Meister. This is because Meister was a mage who contributed immensely to the development of spells, and his work benefited all mages immensely. Claude Van Saint was a pioneer of modern magical medicine and a renowned healer. Philo R. Farnsworth, the man in charge of proving that hallucinations may exist in the form of a medium stored in the capture crystal is Meister. Despite his once powerful appearance, Henry Kilroy is still an administrator, battlemage, and war hero, but not a Meister.

She also managed to finally clarify several misused words that she had acquired while on the frontier.

Novice and assistant are common names for junior mages. The nickname of Mage, or High Mage, is given in first-tier cities to those who have mastered at least one magic school, meaning that more than level four spells can be obtained.

A mage is a person who has acquired more than one school of magic through talent or hard study, but to be called a mage in public, the mage must take an exam inside the tower.

Similarly, a mage is a peer-reviewed, publicly recognized spellcaster. Unlike the nickname Maggs, Judge is a title that comes with the responsibility to serve the public and defend the interests of the tower.

For this reason, mages who are more interested in the academic study or integration of arcane may prefer to give up the title of mage or Meister in order to get rid of the sense of responsibility that this recognition confers. Many mages from the clan have chosen this subtle path, and occasionally a few mages have become worldly and famous after their talents have been revealed.

As for Gwen's preference for universities, there are Jiantong, Fudan, Shanghai University, Donghua, and the belligerent Shanghai Maritime.

Among them, Jiantong and Fudan are the clear winners.

After the family got together for morning tea, Pabria told Gwen and Richard: "The mid-term intake is at the beginning of May, and there are still three weeks to go. ”。 "Both of you have been honored by Pudong Tower, so being shortlisted shouldn't be a problem. I mean, there are only two C9 universities in Shanghai, and considering you're all foreigners, Fudan is the best university. Jiantong may be the more prestigious of the two, but only if you intend to cooperate with the PLA. ”

"Fudan, then," Gwen chewed on the name carefully. "Petra is there, right?"

"She really is. Pabria nodded. "This is also my previous university. ”

"But Jiantong has offered two teams to compete in the international university competition, while Fudan has only one," Gwen pointed out in a dilemma.

In order to fulfill her and Gunther's plans, Gwen, and preferably Richard, definitely need to be on the college team by the second year. The competition takes place in the second semester and can take up to 4 months, from August to December.

Thinking of their penultimate target, Gwen couldn't figure out why her Pabua would push Fudan so strongly. Assuming Gunther had told her about their goals, Barbria might have felt that if Gwen and Richard were going to come out on top, they might as well do so with Fudan's support. In this way, she can benefit from her network of people and watch from the shoulders of the children to kill two Roc with a single slingshot.

The network provided by university alumni is one of the fundamental reasons why universities are seen as elite gathering places. Kravdia maintained a network of "Kansai" that was extensively nurtured over the course of forty years. It was one of these benefits that overturned the husband's illegal detention of Gwen in the detention center, allowing the army free passage and retrieving his granddaughter.

"What about you, Richard? what do you want to do?" Clavdia turned to Richard, as Gwen hadn't decided yet.

"She can do whatever she wants," Richard said without hesitation. "It's something that complements each other, but if possible, we need to be in the same course. I think that includes the general course as well. ”

"How many general classes are we going to take?" asked Gwen.

"Twice a year, if you pass the prerequisites, you can choose to do higher. ”

"I see. Gwen considered that the number of options in front of her had grown exponentially. "Is the average course worth it?"

It was Pabria who answered her.

"Don't look down on non-magical classes Gwen, it may sound strange, but it's the ordinary classes that make C9 University so valuable. ”

"How so?" Gwen's voice trembled with curiosity.

"How else are you going to study civics, oratory, art, history, and politics?" said her Baburya. "You can inherit talents, you can hoard mysteries, you can search for rare ingredients, but if you want to own a tower, you'd better take some leadership and governance lessons! You can't even trade CCs for that knowledge! Nome taught them, you know!"

"Oh? Gwen was surprised by this fact, but saw the feeling of forcing non-magical scholars to put pressure on their students. After all, if Fudan occupies the top 1% of Shanghai's mages, then it is inevitable that those mages who graduated from Shanghai will one day become the ruling layer of Shanghai. Therefore, as a place to develop Magus and the masters of magic, they must not unleash politically illiterate and incompetent towermaster masters to govern the world. In fact, Richard went on to explain that in order to qualify for a place on the frontier, one must complete a graduate program in good governance. Similarly, the university's pseudonym lecturers provide a way for students who have grown up surrounded by magic to gain the perspective necessary to recognize that there are life skills beyond magic.

"Is there a course in economics?" asked Gwen out of curiosity. She has earned a master's degree in international business and a master's degree in business administration. Maybe it's time when she can finally tap into prior knowledge?

"Of course!" Richard smiled. "Accounting, Valuation, Corporate Law. ”

"What about finance?"

"Somewhere there, of course. ”

"Management?"

"Naturally," Richard pointed to a course manual that Gwen was flipping through. "You're already thinking about starting your privatization, aren't you?"

"Pabria. Gwen turned to her grandmother. "What do I have to do to become an MBA?"

"It's called A-B-M, my dear," Pablia corrected her kindly. "This is a particularly challenging subject choice that is usually reserved for the best and brightest. If you're interested, I can give the head of the department a call. ”

Gwen guessed the possibility of taking a business administration course. As long as she can apply her knowledge to this world, she will likely be able to rise to the top of the HDs company without much effort.

"How hard is it?" Gwen grasped at the end of Pabloa's moving speech. ABM courses can be challenging because students in this world have little exposure to finance, economics, and business management.

"I dare say that. Her Papulian kind face looked deeply at her disciples. "If you want to compare yourself to the legendary Craftsman, or even the self-taught Lady de Botton, it's a foregone conclusion that you'll specialize in air combat!"

Gwen stammered, realizing that they must be missing a link in the Chinese whispering game.

"Air Mage," Richard added helpfully. "This is the luckiest proficiency level of the arcane course. The pamphlet said that the course was jointly taught by faculty members from the Tower, the People's Liberation Army and the university. This is the only way to learn advanced flight, except to burn a few hundred CCs of the system. The course includes everything, dog fighting, passive spells, mana protection, space training. I think we should take it! ”

"These crazy battle mages!" Gwen bit her lip in embarrassment. "Of course, I never dreamed of skipping it. ”

Now, with the misunderstanding cleared up, Gwen sticks to her suit.

"Are there any courses in business marketing and consulting?"

Richard and Kraftia met. Why are you so interested in general education classes?

"Gwen, is this a tangent to your 'name and mage'?" Richard was mistakenly aware of Gwen's direction of investigation. "I know you're sympathetic to them, but let's not get off track, okay?"

"Business is under a pseudonym, Gwen. Pabria also had a hint of worry on her face. "And this 'finance'. A mage can raze towns and raise mountains. A single mage can reduce an entire civilization to ashes. What are the benefits of hoarding crystals and currency, and you should spend it as soon as possible to improve your courage. Once you become a recognized mage, earthly wealth becomes insignificant. I mean, have you ever heard of a poor mage or a mage?"

"Doesn't the increase in capital mean that I can buy more training supplies?" After all, Gwen herself is a woman with more than two thousand. She would be happier if that number could grow by a few digits. "A high turnover is not inconceivable. We can invest in a product, improve its packaging, reduce benchmark costs by streamlining the production process, and profit from targeted redistribution. ”

"Sounds like you're serious!" Richard laughed. "If you have time, you can also go out into the field, train, or learn new spells!"