Complete Scroll Scouting without joining the College of Winterhold
I'm playing through Dawnguard and have got up to the 'Scroll Scouting' quest.
Is it possible to complete it without joining the College of Winterhold? The quest description says to ask in the College but the door is locked. My character is a Nord with no interest in Magic at all, so it doesn't make much sense to join the College.
Solution 1:
You can actually skip out the College by going straight to Septimus Signus's outpost. All you get at the college is an objective to go to the outpost, so you're able to cut out the middle-man if necessary.