Student Samwell at the citadel?

[Rondo]

Cowardice is not a barrier to learning but there are bullies at the citadel too.  Ex. Leo.  How do you think Samwell will fare at the citadel?  

Edited January 18 by Rondo

[Canon Claude]

2 minutes ago, Rondo said:

Cowardice is not a barrier to learning but there are bullies at the citadel too.  Ex. Leo.  How do you think Samwell will fare at the citadel?  

It depends, as with his time at the Wall, on the friends he manages to make.

[Curled Finger]

Doesn't Sam know Leo from his previous life?  If so, I would imagine Sam would steer pretty clear of the guy.  On the other hand, wouldn't it be something for Leo to see what a badass Sam is and have to drink a tall glass of Shut Up.  

[Alexis-something-Rose]

Sam has dealt with bullies all his life, the biggest one of them all being his father. Everyone else is chomp change compared to Randyll. But this idea that Sam is actually a coward could not be more wrong, imo. 

He'll deal just fine with Leo. 

[Wizz-The-Smith]

As well as surrounding himself with good friends, Sam's intelligence has also helped him gain respect at the Wall. Bringing something needed to the table will always help anyone to fit in, it gives their role importance. 

Therefore, Sam's knowledge of the Others, Wights, wildlings, giants, Stannis' army, ancient texts etc will I think go a long way to helping Sam become a key player in Oldtown. Furthermore, anyone who shares knowledge with, or has any respect for Marwyn may already realize Sam's importance, as he was singled out by the glass candle visions. 

In a establishment full of academics, he may also have learned enough to help with tactical/military based decisions when it comes to Euron's impending invasion of Oldtown. Perhaps he could prove his worth there too?    

Edited January 18 by Wizz-The-Smith

[Wizz-The-Smith]

45 minutes ago, Curled Finger said:

On the other hand, wouldn't it be something for Leo to see what a badass Sam is and have to drink a tall glass of Shut Up.

Oh yeah.

Sam be like "Please address me as Sam the Slayer, my prowess for killing Others is legendary up north."   

[Egged]

I imagine any knowledge of the Others and such will be looked down upon, no one will believe him.

[Nathan Stark]

Sam will do what he always does: try to keep his head down, read all the books he can get his hands on, and focus on his studies. He was born to be a Measter.

This notion that he is a coward completly ignores subtext. Sam thinking he's a coward because his monster asswipe of a dad beat it into him does not, in fact, mean Sam is a coward.

[Curled Finger]

1 hour ago, Egged said:

I imagine any knowledge of the Others and such will be looked down upon, no one will believe him.

True, but doesn't Lazy Leo hang out among the misfits?  I would imagine that anyone in Marwyn's training would be fairly loyal to him and be inclined to believe magic monsters are afoot?   Either way it doesn't sound like we will get a lot of time with Sam at university.   

[Curled Finger]

2 hours ago, Wizz-The-Smith said:

As well as surrounding himself with good friends, Sam's intelligence has also helped him gain respect at the Wall. Bringing something needed to the table will always help anyone to fit in, it gives their role importance. 

Therefore, Sam's knowledge of the Others, Wights, wildlings, giants, Stannis' army, ancient texts etc will I think go a long way to helping Sam become a key player in Oldtown. Furthermore, anyone who shares knowledge with, or has any respect for Marwyn may already realize Sam's importance, as he was singled out by the glass candle visions. 

In a establishment full of academics, he may also have learned enough to help with tactical/military based decisions when it comes to Euron's impending invasion of Oldtown. Perhaps he could prove his worth there too?    

Ah wouldn't it be great to see Sam get a whole lot of respect from folk who may be an ally of nasty old Randyll's!  

[Wizz-The-Smith]

1 hour ago, Egged said:

I imagine any knowledge of the Others and such will be looked down upon, no one will believe him.

Perhaps. Although Marwyn saw Sam in the glass candle, therefore there's huge potential for the glass candle to show whoever's looking some of the horrors occurring up north too. 

[Wizz-The-Smith]

5 minutes ago, Curled Finger said:

Ah wouldn't it be great to see Sam get a whole lot of respect from folk who may be an ally of nasty old Randyll's!  

Absolutely!  

[Yaya]

i think Sam will be a STAR at the Citadel - when else has a member of the Night's Watch joined the Citadel? 
those Citadel folks were always sending Maesters out to the Wall - this has got to be the first time it flipped the other way round ...

does anyone know for sure - when have the dudes from the Wall climbed down south to get some learning at Old Town?

oh & as mentioned previous - he's also got a pickled Targaryian in a cask - who wouldn't want to party with Sam?

 

[Alexis-something-Rose]

46 minutes ago, Wizz-The-Smith said:

Perhaps. Although Marwyn saw Sam in the glass candle, therefore there's huge potential for the glass candle to show whoever's looking some of the horrors occurring up north too. 

I am so looking forward to see if Sam will be made to negotiate the more magical aspects at the Citadel. There's the weirwood at the Isle of Ravens. And I wonder if he'll be able to see what's going on at the Wall and if he'll start entering people's dreams.

If he can, then he should start with Randyll and terrorize the shit out of him. Then he can move on to the Redwyne twins.

Edited January 19 by Alexis-something-Rose

[Son of Man]

6 hours ago, Alexis-something-Rose said:

Sam has dealt with bullies all his life, the biggest one of them all being his father. Everyone else is chomp change compared to Randyll. But this idea that Sam is actually a coward could not be more wrong, imo. 

Sam is a coward.  It's not hating on him to say so.  He is also a nice guy with a good mind. 

6 hours ago, Alexis-something-Rose said:

He'll deal just fine with Leo. 

It was satisfactory.  He handled Leo fine on that first meeting. 

[Nevets]

Sam has become a lot more assertive and less afraid of his own shadow of late.  Plus, the Citadel is more his element, which the Wall decidedly was not.  He should be comfortable there, and find friends fairly easily.  I think he will do fine.  If he does have trouble, it will likely be the result of political plotting and/or warfare, not bullying from the likes of Leo Tyrell.

[Nathan Stark]

2 hours ago, Son of Man said:

Sam is a coward.  It's not hating on him to say so.  He is also a nice guy with a good mind. 

It was satisfactory.  He handled Leo fine on that first meeting. 

Sam's actions contradict this claim. He killed an Other despite his fear. He manuevered Mallister and Pyke into supporting Jon Snow for LC, despite his fear. To paraphrase a very wise man, the only time a man can be brave is when he is afriad. I don't care how many times Sam calls himself a coward. We have more than enough textual evidence to show us otherwise.

[Julia H.]

Sam has much more courage than he gives himself credit for.

In the Citadel, he will probably remain his kind and polite self, but he has learned to handle bullies, he has already gained knowledge from getting access to the library of Castle Black and working with Maester Aemon, he has survived truly dangerous situations, he has made important decisions of his own, he has killed an Other, saving himself and his peers, he has successfully tried his hand at the game of politics, he has made friends and he has gained experience with a woman. He is not the same person as he had been on his first day on the Wall.

[Alexis-something-Rose]

9 hours ago, Son of Man said:

Sam is a coward.  It's not hating on him to say so.  He is also a nice guy with a good mind. 

I don't think you're hating on him. But I completely disagree that he is a coward. And him calling himself a coward doesn't make it true.

In those moments when you think he's going to just curl up and die, he manages to find some courage. He was scared shitless at the Fist. He did that Other in, he confronted Small Paul and the other wights at that village. He confronted his fears of authority figures when he was trying to get Jon elected LC of the NW to get the job done.

As Jon said, Sam is a lot braver than he gives himself credit for. But when you've been called craven and coward your whole life, then you end up believing it.

Edited January 19 by Alexis-something-Rose

[Wizz-The-Smith]

19 hours ago, Alexis-something-Rose said:

I am so looking forward to see if Sam will be made to negotiate the more magical aspects at the Citadel. There's the weirwood at the Isle of Ravens. And I wonder if he'll be able to see what's going on at the Wall and if he'll start entering people's dreams. 

Same here, Sam's arc is one of the things I'm most looking forward to in TWOW. Not thought about Sam entering people's dreams before, that would be awesome.

I'm keen to see what will come of his relationship with Alleras and Pate, especially Pate. If, as is highly likely, Pate is in fact Jaqen, then Sam may form a friendship with a faceless man. Jaqen/Pate may take a particular interest in Sam if he starts to show some of the knowledge or talents we are speculating about in this thread. They are tending the ravens together iirc, so perhaps that may be a way to impress Jaqen/Pate. Sam has been teaching the ravens to speak on the Wall, and we know the ravens (with greenseers in their skin) used to speak to relay messages in ancient days. Could Bran somehow contact Sam, or Sam teach raven/Bran to speak? 

Alleras seems important as well. She (he) was really nice to Sam and knows about the magic of the glass candle. I can see Alleras guiding Sam somewhat, he was after all told to keep some of his more fantastical news away from the ears of the archmaesters. Hopefully (s)he'll be Samwell's Jon Snow at the Citadel.