Ok, this is the first character I've been to the college on, so forgive me if this has been discussed before.

I am REALLY confused.

When you first enter the college and you're facing that gate, there's a door on the left, to the Arch-mage's Quarters, and a door on the right to the Arcanaeum.

If you go in either door, you go up 2 sets of stairs and end up right above the entrance. If both doors go to the same place, 2 sets of stairs up, how can they lead to different places.

Then if you went to the Arch-Mage's Quarters, you can go down a different set of stairs, open a door, go down 2 more, and you're in the Arcanaeum, when you should be under the entrance.

Seriously, I am so confused.

I′ve been confused countless times there, just like you ±P

..but read more http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:College_of_Winterhold_%28place%29, scroll al the way down:

Thanks

the buildings are odd on Nirn. Someone made a post a while ago about the arch above a door being in diferent spots in the interior and exterior.

I'd say just a big derp on the devs part.

Yeah, they messed up how the stairs work.

Ya seriously its a mistake by the Devs, covering it up with extra-dimensional oddity is bull. I don't know of anything saying the college has "extra-dimensional odditys" anywhere and the stairs will not be the start of it.

It's like the shifting staricases in Hogwarts!

...magic?

No, seriously, I get lost all the time there too.

edit: okay maybe I'm a bit confused myself with this one. Nevermind what I posted earlier.

Well, it is a magical college...

That might work if similar oddities weren't found elsewhere in the game. But they are. And that explanation doesn't really work for the others.

A wizard did it.

..but still, (in my game) there are 2 upper doors, that require a key to unlock.
Where is the key, or how do I unlock them?

p.s. I've joined the College.

You unlock it later throgh progression and i never had a problem navigating the college.

I just assume theres offscreen staircases or whatever that account for the odd looping trick between the Archmage quarters and the Arcaneum. Ya know, sacrificing gritty and annoying realism for the sake of not being irritating (I'm looking at you, 7000 steps).

Trying to 3d map the dungeons, the back exit usually requires some fairly extensive loading screen tunnel going on too.

I'm pretty sure David Bowie had something to do with it.

I'm not saying it was aliens

But it was aliens.


But seriously they are mages!! If they can sunmon Deamons from oblivion then a little bit of creat extra space magic wouldn't be a problem.

I just never use the left staircase.