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What is a Scholar?[]
Square-Enix stated that Scholar isn't a mage, but a tactician that uses magic. There has been a lot of misunderstanding of exactly what that means. Mages are experts in specific classes of magic, and for the most part, each mage class has a very well defined role, WHM as healers, BLM as magical DD and RDM as support/enfeebling. SCH on the other hand, can serve all three roles equally well. Unlike mages, it takes more work and more planning to be effective in any role. It is important to note, that even though you will focus on one role, you will usually need to be able to fulfill all the roles, at least to some extent.
Tools of the Trade[]
Light Arts- Boosts all white magic (-10% cast time -10% spell cost), penalizes all black magic (+10% cast time, +20% spell Cost). Boost Healing, Enhancing, Divine, and Enfeebling Skills to a B/B+.
Dark Arts- Boosts all black magic (-10% cast time -10% spell cost), penalizes all white magic (+10% cast time, +20% spell Cost). Boost Elemental, Dark, and Enfeebling Skills to a B/B+.
Subjob Bonus
Many Player don't realize SCH gets a bonus for certain subs. So far confirmed are bonuses for BLM sub and WHM sub. With WHM sub, SCH has higher def and magic def, allowing them to better survive stealing Hate. With BLM sub, SCH gets an additional bonus to black magic when in Dark Arts. This bonus appears to significantly increase both MACC and MATT. It should be noted that this is in addition to the MAB that /BLM gives to any job. This information was released at VanaFesta 2007 and appears on the official Japanese FFXI website. (this information is likely to be false, see the discussion)
Know your Role[]
As stated above, SCH can fill the role of healer, nuker, support, as well as crowd control for endgame. Here is how to optimize yourself for each role.
Nuker[]
There has been a persistent rumor that SCH nuke about as well as a RDM. This is patently false. A well equip SCH/BLM nukes almost as well as your average blm in exp situations, through endgame, BLM get a lot of gear SCH doesn't, so for HNM situations, you probably won't be nuking on mobs that are strong to magic. To play this role best, skip the MP gear entirely, unless there is absolutely nothing else you can wear, and from 29 up, there's always something else. Most of your gear will be +INT, simply because there's a lot of thing SCH can't wear. BLM sub is critical, as it's the only way to overcome the resist rates that come with a B-level skill. Here's what it takes to do it well.
Important Stats: elemental skill>MACC>MAB>INT>MP>MPP>MND
Recommended Subjob(s): BLM
Essential Elemental Staves: ALL
Healer[]
Anyone who has played this game knows, if you have MP, you have to cure (or you're a DRK), and SCH is no exception. On the downside, with the exception of Regen and Regen II SCH gets White magic spells late, about the same level as PLD. This means you probably won't be main heal until at least 17, when you finally get Cure II. On the upside, SCH gets Regen and Regen II very early, is super MP-efficient, and has stratgems to help in a pinch. At 40, SCH healer comes into its own as a healer with Accession. The ability to cast a high level AOE Protect and shell, to give a whole party Regen, and to cast AOE cure, even on non-party members. Since, thanks to Addendum: White, SCH gets all the most important healing spells natively, BLM is still the best sub pre-68, so that when you do throw the occasional nuke, it lands with a punch. From 68 up, The ability to cast AOE Phalanx and Stoneskin makes RDM a very attractive choice. WHM offers very little except for an earlier Stoneskin, allowing you to rest with Sublimation to give a nice MP regain, and so is useful between 58-68 when there is no Refresh, or when you're fighting mobs that are not good nuking targets, such as colibri. Pre-58 it does offer a little more mind to help reach cure soft caps, but usually you get cures so late, you'll be almost at the cap just from healing skill(if capped), Auto-regen also slows the loss of MP from sublimation and at 40 you can AOE blink. IMHO the flexibility /blm gives is far more valuable, but no one would fault any healer for subbing whm.
Important Stats MP>hMP>MND>INT
Recommended Subjob(s): BLM(pre-68),RDM(post-68), WHM(58-68)
Edit-I personally recommend subbing RDM as soon as you can AOE En-spell the party if you're main healing for a melee party. You will add just as much damage to the mob as you would if you were a nuker. Be careful as this will add a tonne of hate. You will want to AOE En-Spell right as a mob dies so its up for the next few mobs.
Essential Elemental Staves: Light Staff/Dark Staff
Support[]
Beyond Protect, Shell, and Regen you are almost entirely dependent on your subjob for enhancing spells. However, thanks to high skill from Light Arts and AF, as well as Accession, you will often be called on to serve as a support role job. The ability to give your whole party–or even another party–Stoneskin, Phalanx, En-spells is incredibly useful. Being able to change the weather will actually get you into manaburns. End game, this is likely to be your main role. Generally speaking, for support, RDM sub can't be beat, simply for the sheer amount of support spell, and being able to AOE the many self-only RDM spells is a beautiful thing.
Important Stats: enhancing magic skill>MND>MP>MPP>INT
Recommended Subjob(s): RDM
Essential Equipment: N/A
Enfeebling/Crowd Control[]
Without Addendum: Black, SCH gets 0 enfeebling spells. Even with Addendum: Black, all SCH has natively is Sleep/Sleep II and Dispel. Just like enhancing, you'll be relying on your subjob for spells. Still, it's a role SCH can fill well. Subjob will depend on the specific situation. For general enfeebling, the spell list from RDM sub can't be beat. Crowd control is a place were sch can really shine, though. Not only can SCH participate in a traditional Sleep cycle with an AOE Sleep II, but Manifestation:Gravity from SCH/RDM and Manifestation:Stun from SCH/DRK can also open new possibilities for controlling groups. A SCH/RDM can allow a sleeping party to work safer, or a SCH/DRK+SCH/RDM duo could kite a huge crowd with relative ease (provided charges hold out, and gravity sticks without ES). Definitely situational, but SCH offers some new strategies to consider.
Important Stats: enfeebling magic skill>MACC>INT>MND>MP>MPP
Recommended Subjob: RDM, BLM(ES), DRK?(experimentation still needed)
Recommended Elemental Staves: All