Sims 2 Gameplay Rules: University

Name	Grade Needed	Cost per Year	Housing per Year	Suited Aspirations	Offered Majors	Housing Options	Seasons	School Colours
Home (via a mod)	Grade C or Higher, OR any Grade if topped teen career	500	0	Family, Pleasure, Popularity	Any	N/A	Home	N/A
Sim State University	Grade C or Higher, OR any Grade if topped teen career	500	125	Family, Romance, Pleasure, Popularity	Art, Literature, Business, Philosophy, Drama, Psychology	Dorms Only	Spring -Summer	Red and Yellow
La Fiesta Tech	Grade B or Higher	1,000	250	Knowledge, Fortune, Popularity, Family	Science, Maths, Physics, Biology, Psychology, Political Science	Dorms, Private Housing	Autumn	Blue and Green
Academie Le Tour	Grade A or higher, OR if went to Private School Grade B or Higher	2,000	500	Knowledge, Fortune	Art, Literature, Economics, Business, History, Political Science	All inc. Sororities and Greek Houses	Summer -Autumn	Red and Blue

These are my University gameplay rules, you can find my general gameplay rules here: Gameplay Rules

Can A Sim Go To University?

• Sims with a D+ or lower when they return from their last day of high school cannot go to University unless they have reached the top of their teen career (then Sim State will accept them or they can attend University from home).

• A Sim can go to University if they roll the want to on their final day of teen-hood before 6pm otherwise they age up to an adult.

• Wants for going to University can only be locked in on the final day of teen-hood.

• University fees are paid upon graduation or drop out. Sims can get a loan to cover their fees. Loans are repaid with a 3% interest rate per day. I use the loan jar mod to do this. If a Sim drops out of University half-way through they only have to pay proportionally for the time they spent at University.

Which University?

• I use the system set out in the table above to help decide which University my Sim will attend. I make use of all 3 maxis University neighbourhoods and they're all set up differently offering different housing, majors, and have their own seasons and school colours (I decorate the dorms and lots in these colours). I set the season at the start of playing University (as per the table above) and keep control of it via the Seasons and Weather Controller Mod.

  • Home - I use a mod to allow Sims to attend University from Home. In this instance, the Season is dependant on the home lot. Attending University from home offers the cheapest way to study. It also means if a Sim hasn't got the grade to attend the University that offers the degree they need for a career they can still get the degree.

  • Sim State - benefits from social and romantic relationship gains from the seasons and is the cheapest University for those wishing to live on campus.

  • La Fiesta Tech - benefits from skill gains all year from the season. This is a middle price Univeristy, but specialises in science based degrees.

  • Academie Le Tour - benefits from social and skill gain from the season. This is the most expensive and difficult University to get into.

• What University a Sim can go to will depend on their grade, and they can also consider their aspiration, if they have a LTW for a certain career and affordability (they've got to pay those fees at some point!).

• The suited aspirations are not mandatory, a Sim with any Primary Aspiration can go to any University but it may aid decision making.

Which Major?

• Sims start with an unspecified major at first. Then they can select a major if they roll the want for it. Sims can only study for a major that is listed at the University they are attending.

• If a Sim has a lifetime want that is career based I allow them to choose a major that is good for that career track regardless if they roll the want for it or not (as long as the Uni allows that major).

• If they don't roll a want for a specific major (and don't have a career based LTW) by the end of Freshman year, I roll a random number and work clockwise around the menu of choices (ignoring Majors not offered at that University according to the table above).

• I use a mod which revamps the majors associated with different careers.

Homework, Term Papers and Skill Building

• Sims can do research via bookcase and work on term papers if they roll the want to.

• Sims can do assignments based on their interest points for school:

  • 0-5 Interest = Coin flip 2x per academic year (1 per day, as I have 8 days of Uni), heads = do assignment, tails = don't do assignment.

  • 6-10 Interest = Do an assignment 2x per academic year (1 per day, as I have 8 days of Uni).

• Sims can gain skills naturally though gameplay, but cannot be forced to skill build.

• If a Sim is in their Senior year and rolls the want to graduate I will do what is needed to allow them to get the minimum passing grade which may include gaining a skill, doing and assignment etc.

• To give my Sim a chance, all housing options (except for Sims attending University from Home) are supplied with some extra items that allow them to gain skills if they use them autonomously e.g. telescope (logic), dartboard (mechanical) and a piece of exercise equipment (body). I also have a mod that allows creativity to be gained from diary writing. My Sims are not forced to use these items but if they want to or do so on their own they may gain some vital skills.

• I do not consider the want to be on Dean's list a reason to force Sims to do assignments, term papers or skill build.

• I do not consider fears a reason to force Sims to do assignments, term papers or skill build because if they don't want to do something to avoid the fear that's on them!
  

Misc

• If a Sim passes Sophmore year they are allowed to change their Primary Aspiration if they want to, it is rolled for and I decide if I want them to change it or not based on the outcome. Primary and Secondary aspirations can be switched at this point if rolled for also.

• Pre-made Sims (e.g. Mortimer Goth in Pleasantview) can have University degrees allocated to them. I do this using the Counterfeit College Diploma mod.

• Sims can fail out of University (and that's okay!).

• I use the University of Life Mod, which means Sims that did not go to University or dropped-out can still earn additional want slots by reaching certain career levels.

• I use mods to reduce the length of University to 8 days, and change the time of classes to later.