The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – How to Choose Between College of Winterhold and Whiterun

the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim

I'm totally a noob to Skyrim. And on my first time, I went to the Whiterun to warn about the dragon in Helgen. But this time, I wanna make a difference, so I was wondering to go join the Mage College up in the Winterhold before going to the Whiterun.

But I fear that I would mess up the storyline if I join the College first. Is it okay to join the College before warning the Jarl of Whiterun of the Dragon?

Best Answer

Short answer: Yes.

Detailed answer: Skyrim is an open world RPG! Basically, that means that once you get full control of your character, you can go almost anywhere on the map and do almost anything! There are some quests, items, enemies, and locations that have level requirements, but you can go anywhere the map shows from the get-go.

My understanding is you are concerned with the main storyline integrity. Well, have no fear, you can't mess anything up (too badly, anyways).

Interestingly, if you dont go to Whiterun and complete Bleak Falls Barrow, you wont start Dragon Rising. Furthermore, if you never start Dragon Rising, you won't run into any wild dragons on your adventure. Whenever you're ready for those monsters in the sky, head on back to Whiterun and everything will be great!