First Lessons

Overview

 * Prerequisite: N/A
 * Quest Giver: Faralda
 * Reward: Learned spell (Lesser Ward)
 * Reputation Gain: N/A

Background
This quest is obtained upon arriving at Winterhold (City) and approaching the beginning of the bridge to The College of Winterhold.

Walkthrough
When you approach the bridge to The College, the guardian of the bridge Faralda will ask you to prove your ability to enter the College by casting a spell. Depending on your choice of reasons for wanting to enter the College, she will offer you different spells to cast. The spell's level will depend on your level and perks. If you do not know the spell you can buy it from her for 30 gold. She will then lead you to the College and give you a quest to speak with the College leader Mirabelle Ervine (Master Wizard), a mage in the courtyard. This allows you access to The College of Winterhold. She will give some Novice Robes of Destruction and a Novice Hood to wear if you choose.

You will then be taken on a short tour of the College and told to see Tolfdir in the Hall of Elements where he is giving a lecture. Tolfdir is teaching three other students and yourself about wards and the dangers of magic. He will then ask you to defend yourself using the Lesser Ward spell he gives you. Once you defend yourself Tolfdir will ask you to travel to Saarthal to take part in an expedition.

Bugs
It is possible for an assassination attempt or a dragon battle to occur in the middle of your tour from Mirabelle (in the college courtyard), which will interrupt her scripted path and leave it unable to complete - she will resume her normal daily pattern and tell you "After I show you the grounds, we can talk" if you attempt to interact with her. Tolfdir's class in the Hall of Elements will not be triggered, so you cannot simply skip ahead; to complete the quest and continue the faction storyline, you must reload a previous save. (It's a shame, as she provides another target for enemies and casts powerful destruction spells at them.)