Empowering the Non-Magical Student: A Guide to Succeeding in a Magical School

Being a student is not synonymous with being magical. While there may be an assumption that students possess some sort of mystical powers when it comes to knowledge and understanding, the truth is much more ordinary. **I am not a magical student.** I am simply a person who is dedicated to learning, studying, and growing. Contrary to popular belief, being a student does not automatically make me an expert in all subjects. I don't have a supernatural ability to instantly understand complex mathematical equations or remember every historical fact.

$\begingroup$ That is literally part of the real world already. OK, sans magic being real, but the "supernatural" has been explored for military and/or intelligence (strongly related to military) purposes already. Hitler had an interest in the occult, the USA experimented with LSD in order to facilitate extra sensory perception. In response to reports that Russia was also investing time and effort into ESP research. Again, aside from magic/ESP/occult/supernatural not being real, I don't see why the premise would deviate from our world. $\endgroup$

For twenty years, magic that had previously been though impossible in the rational realm has been becoming stronger, and people in the rational realm have begun to be born with the gift required to perform magic. However, with training and dedication from an early age around 5-6yo , these people are capable of acts of magic that were previously thought to be the domain of hollywood fantasies, able to scry at a distance, affect the material world by will alone, heal, read and control the minds of people and animals, create temporary or permanent matter, and fight and defend themselves and others using magically created matter and energies.

I don't have a supernatural ability to instantly understand complex mathematical equations or remember every historical fact. **I am not a magical student.** I am just like anyone else who is willing to put in the time and effort to understand new concepts.

Is it reasonable that magic would become a subject and magi would become students in military academies in a world with rediscovered magic?

Until twenty years before the time at which my story is set, the world was pretty much as our modern-age world is now. Magic was thought to be nothing more than myth and superstition. Alien worlds and travel to other stars and worlds were the stuff of science fiction. Then everything changed overnight when a mountain magically rose from the sea in Port Philip Bay off Melbourne, and the world discovered that magic was very real, and there are many other realms on Earth than the rational realm (i.e. the world we know as modern earth), many other worlds beyond our own. and you don't need to fly through space to get to them. For twenty years, magic that had previously been though impossible in the rational realm has been becoming stronger, and people in the rational realm have begun to be born with the 'gift' required to perform magic. Without training, these people might grow up to seem just a bit odd, might be able to 'do a trick or two'. However, with training and dedication from an early age (around 5-6yo), these people are capable of acts of magic that were previously thought to be the domain of hollywood fantasies, able to scry at a distance, affect the material world by will alone, heal, read and control the minds of people and animals, create temporary or permanent matter, and fight and defend themselves and others using magically created matter and energies. They can create magical items that anyone can use, though at a considerable expense in time and resources. A newly trained magus might be the match of a platoon of soldiers if they had taken an interest in combat. An arch-magus specialising in combat could be a nuclear-level threat. Those with the gift to become magi are a mere handful (around 1-10) in a million, and only those trained from an early age are usually successful at it, though some gifted mature students of magic occasionally gain a moderate competence. Magic has been taught exclusively in the magical realms for the last 20 years since the rational realm became aware of it, because that's where everyone who can teach it is located. A few potential rational realm students have been taken to the magical realms for training, and since the course of study for an apprentice or student magus is on the order of 12-15 years, there would be very few magi in the rational realms, they would be quite junior, and since not all magi are interested in combat magic, even fewer would be inclined to consult with rational realm militaries. Given that background, would it be reasonable to suppose that rational realm militaries would be sufficiently interested in magic to have made the capabilities of magic a subject of study in their military academies, and would it be reasonable to suppose that if a newly-graduated magus applied to enter such an academy, that they might be accepted if they met the other entry requirements? In order to provide a more specific scenario, for purposes of this question, let us consider only the USA and ask if a US military academy such as West Point would be likely to teach its students about magic even if they weren't capable of performing magic themselves, and if it might accept a newly graduated magus as a student if they were otherwise eligible to attend? EDIT: I am considering a scenario where the US knows about magic (and has known for 20 years), and has perhaps a half-dozen recently graduated magi in government service. A recently graduated magus applies to West Point, where there are no magi attending, nor have any ever attended as students before. I consider it likely that the US would want to teach future officers about magic, to recruit magi and to have magi at West Point to give the other students first-hand experience with magi and to learn how to integrate magi with the military. Basically, is this a reasonable assumption?

$\begingroup$ What was it called again? Ah yes, Mahōka Kōkō no Rettōsei has a relatively similar setup with students who should be more in marine squads than doing school contests. Going somewhat further from your concept. Rakudai Kishi no Kyabaruryi which has academies with the purpose of ensuring everyone's safety from rogue mages. Needless to say, Japan has a deep issue with magical students going to school to become either the super police or soldiers 😋. $\endgroup$

$\begingroup$ @Tortliena Those scenarios seem to have magicians far more common than my scenario in the US. $\endgroup$

$\begingroup$ Yes, it's more like 1 out of 1000 rather than 1 out of a million. Though don't be misled, since the story takes place in those magic schools, it will always feel like there are proportionally more magicians than there are actually ^^. $\endgroup$

$\begingroup$ @Tortliena I'm also asking about a school where there have previously been no magicians as students, and magic is not taught, only potentially taught about. $\endgroup$

$\begingroup$ That is literally part of the real world already. OK, sans magic being real, but the "supernatural" has been explored for military and/or intelligence (strongly related to military) purposes already. Hitler had an interest in the occult, the USA experimented with LSD in order to facilitate extra sensory perception. In response to reports that Russia was also investing time and effort into ESP research. Again, aside from magic/ESP/occult/supernatural not being real, I don't see why the premise would deviate from our world. $\endgroup$

It is also important to recognize that being a student does not mean that I am immune to making mistakes or facing challenges. **I am not a magical student** who effortlessly breezes through exams and assignments. Like everyone else, I struggle, make errors, and sometimes fail. However, the difference lies in my willingness to persevere, seek help, and learn from my mistakes. Another misconception about being a student is that I have an infinite capacity for knowledge. While I am constantly learning and expanding my understanding, there are limits to what I can absorb and retain. **I am not a magical student** with the ability to instantly memorize entire textbooks or possess encyclopedic knowledge. I rely on critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective studying techniques to build my knowledge base. In conclusion, it is important to dispel the notion that being a student automatically grants me magical powers of understanding and knowledge. **I am not a magical student**. I am a person who is dedicated to learning, growing, and overcoming challenges. While I may not possess any supernatural abilities, I am committed to investing the necessary time and effort to expand my understanding and achieve my academic goals..

Reviews for "Learning to Stand Out in a School of Magic as a Non-Magical Student"

1. Jane - ★☆☆☆☆

I found "I am not a magical student" to be incredibly disappointing. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth, making it difficult to feel any connection or investment in their stories. The plot was also quite predictable, which took away any element of surprise or excitement. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and uninterested in continuing the series.

2. Mike - ★★☆☆☆

"I am not a magical student" had the potential to be a great fantasy novel, but unfortunately, it fell short. The world-building was weak and lacked coherence, leaving me confused and disconnected from the story. Moreover, the pacing was inconsistent, with long periods of tedious descriptions and then rushed action scenes. Although the concept was intriguing, the execution was lacking, resulting in a mediocre reading experience.

3. Sarah - ★★☆☆☆

While "I am not a magical student" had an interesting premise, the writing style was off-putting and detracted from the overall enjoyment of the book. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to believe or invest in the interactions between the characters. Additionally, the plot seemed disjointed and lacked a clear direction, leaving me feeling confused and unengaged throughout. Overall, I was underwhelmed by this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.

4. John - ★☆☆☆☆

I am not a magical student" was a complete letdown for me. The protagonist was incredibly unlikable and had no redeeming qualities, making it impossible to root for them or feel any connection. The pacing was also extremely slow, with little happening in terms of plot progression. Furthermore, the book was riddled with grammatical errors and sloppy writing, which made it difficult to immerse myself in the story. Overall, I found this book to be dull and lacking in substance.

Shattering the Myth: Non-Magical Students Can Achieve Greatness Too