Bard is a DPS in this game. It's pretty fun IMO and easy to understand but you do want to practice using songs as when they are useful they are VERY useful. Very little of your actual time is spent playing songs since they are either something you can turn on and leave running or something you only want to use in very specific circumstances as they lower your damage by a significant amount.

So, for example, you don't have to take Lancer and turn it into Dragoon? You can have a lvl 50 Lancer? Is there any scenario that you would not want to take the job advancement?
You technically don't have to take your class and turn it into a Job but there is nothing but downsides to doing so. Not only do your miss out on several abilities that upgrade the role your class is already designed to play, you gain a large boost in stats just for equipping the job stone. There's also a fair amount of entry-level gear that is job-only (most notably the relic weapons which help new players out a lot).

Can you go Scholar and Summoner, or do you only get to choose 1 of the 2 to unlock?
You can play both but the stat points you set are shared between the two jobs since they both come from Arcanist. Don't stress about it too much as people do perfectly fine with stats all in INT, all in MND, or a mix of both, and you can reset your points easily.


Also Punk you are on Hyperion... I am helping a returning friend level up his Ninja and can invite you along for XP dungeons if you are online when he is. His schedule is a little haphazard so I can't really give you any consistent times though aside from "nighttime Pacific time". Feel free to send me a tell in-game.