YOUR LIFE AS A STUDENTSettling In: Once your Sim is enrolled in good ole U of B or Foxbury Institute, it’s time to choose a dorm (if they’re staying on-campus), maybe spend some time in the student commons, or set up a study session in the library...
Academics: When it comes right down to it, college is all about the classes and your Sims have a huge selection of them to choose from. Biology? Sure thing. Computer Science? You bet. Villainy? Weirdly enough, yeah! There are lectures to attend, term papers to work on, and presentations to give. And, of course, attending classes (or blowing them off) will affect their final grades. Remember, the more they learn, the better they’ll be in their future careers, so no slacking if your Sims want to succeed. - Announcement blog
Planning for and Applying to UniversityGame Changer Q&A via @AlbaWaterhouse (Q&A was provided by the Game Changer Program and SimGuru/Maxis Studio):
Is it best to raise a child from birth to young adult preparing them for college or can you just make a Sim with no skills and throw them into college?
Playing a Sim through childhood and teenage years will certainly give you more time to raise their skills, which will help them win scholarships and be accepted into more distinguished degrees, but a YA Sim straight out of class will certainly be able to still attend (and, if played well, thrive) at university.
Do the unis have open day type events for teens to explore and decide their future?
Teen Sims may visit the university campus and all its buildings, but there are no specific open day/recruitment events for teens.
How can teens prepare for university?
Teens can prepare for university by increasing their Skills and applying for scholarships. Teens can also apply to university a bit early, allowing them to enroll right when they age up to YA and become eligible to.
How/when do sims apply for uni? Can you apply for both unis and wait to choose or do you have to choose before applying? Can you be offered a university place or scholarship without even applying if you have high skills/grade etc? (e.g, a teacher applied on your behalf)
Sims can start applying to universities about a week before they age up into a Young Adult. Every application goes to both universities and you may choose which university and which degree to pursue once your Sim gets their acceptance letter. Sims will need to apply before they can enroll in university classes but may be offered scholarships they didn’t apply for if they are accepted into enough distinguished degrees.
Degrees and Courseshttps://twitter.com/SimGuruNinja/status/1186752230965182464
Britechester University:
Degrees: Biology, Computer Science, Economics, Physics, Psychology, and Villainy
Distinguished Degrees: Art History, Culinary Arts, Drama, Fine Art, History, Language and Literature, and Communications
Foxbury Institute:
Degrees: Art History, Culinary Arts, Drama, Fine Art, History, Language and Literature, and Communications
Distinguished Degrees: Biology, Computer Science, Economics, Physics, Psychology, and Villainy
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blogClasses are rabbitholes: https://twitter.com/SimGuruFrost/status/1191991245813342208
https://twitter.com/SimGuruFrost/status/1192140597722669059
- A term is one week
- You can take up to 4 classes in a term. One of them can be an optional elective.
- You need about 12 courses to finish a degree - @icmnfrsh re. the Livestream
- From the Livestream: https://twitter.com/LlamaSimsNews/status/1192901572168171520
https://twitter.com/Iron_Cgull/status/1192885688351498240
Game Changer Q&A via @AlbaWaterhouse (Q&A was provided by the Game Changer Program and SimGuru/Maxis Studio):
How long does a school year/semester take, and how long until you finish a degree?
A single semester (we call them “terms” for this pack) lasts 5 weekdays, which means that it can last from 5-7 in-game days depending on what day the term starts on.
How long is a university degree course? (YA/A life stages are ~3 - 3.5 weeks with Normal aging)
A Sim earns a degree after passing 12 university classes. Sims may take anywhere between 1-4 classes each term, so it may take between 3 and 12 terms to earn a degree, depending on how many courses a Sim enrols in each term.
Can you flunk a semester and have to redo it?
You can fail individual classes and need to retake them. You can also do poorly enough across all your classes that your Sim may face academic probation or suspension!
Do you have to do a degree in one go or can you take classes, take a break, and do another semester after?
Sims may choose to take as long as they wish in between terms, though taking a break will lose any scholarships they’ve been awarded.
Can we use the digital art tablet for art assignments?
You can use it to gain art skill, which will help gain course grades but there are no direct assignments for it.
Must you be a full-time student, or can you just go part-time?
While the game doesn’t classify Sims as full or part-time students, Sims can choose to take between 1-4 classes each term and also choose whether they’d like to live on-campus or in their own homes. We like to think that this allows players to define how much time their Sim is devoting to university.
Lectures/classes might be rabbit holes (I'm fine with this), but are there active workshops/labs/group projects etc for me to follow my Sims to?
There are no scheduled active classes or labs. Sims will actively be able to do things to help their course grades like do homework, write term papers, create presentations, and study. Also, there are several university organizations that have scheduled events that include working on robotics or studying together in the commons.
What is the difference between distinguished degrees and normal ones?
Distinguished degrees will require more skill and higher school grades to get accepted into and will give greater career rewards when acquired.
How do study groups work? Simply "Study together"/"Study with..." interaction, or actual group projects where research is divided, and knowledge combined?
It is a study together/study with interaction that brings Sims together to all study from their textbooks.
If at first our sim only qualified for a degree but now hopes to get a distinguished degree. How would that work?
Sims may re-apply to the universities some short time after their first application. Re-applying with better skills may admit your Sim into the distinguished degree and your Sim can change schools (though they’ll lose some credits). After a Sim has finished and has graduated with a degree, they can’t go back and get that same subject’s degree (or the other version), though.
Can you take skills classes or attend events/expos/art shows/games/concerts etc at the University as a non-student? Universities do things accessible for the general public too.
No Sim will be restricted from visiting the university, where events will be running from time to time. Non-student Sims are able to attend skill classes at the classroom buildings.
Can we befriend/romance professors to boost our grades? If we make an enemy of them instead, do our grades suffer?
As professors are Sims that exist in the world, your Sims may do all the normal things you could do with any other Sim. Having a good relationship with your professor (friendly or...otherwise) will make success easier on certain things you may ask them for, like extra credit.
Can you have a full time job while going to college? Choosing times and how many classes you want to take?
Yes, Sims are allowed to have a full-time career while going to university but won’t have the freedom to choose their specific class times.
How does programming work with university? Can they also to hack their grades? Hack into a scholarship? Or a certain school? Help other kids change their grade for a small fee?
Sims with high programming skill will have an easier time getting accepted into certain degree programs (the distinguished Computer Science degree, for instance), but we have not added additional hacking opportunities for them.
Can you get pregnant at university?
Your sims can get pregnant while at University, but if you’re living in University Housing, you will be encouraged to move somewhere that you can better care for your child. This will not kick you out of the university classes, you will still be enrolled until the end of the term where you will be able to choose to enrol again or wait.
Do we get homework? Is it just paperwork or projects?
All classes will have homework that is similar to high school homework. Each class will also have a final requirement that will either be a final exam (taken in class), a final paper (written on the computer), or a final presentation (a new presentation board object that Sims will need to use to create a presentation).
Are homework/out of class assignments varied by degree course (paintings/photos for art, robotics/handiness for engineering etc) or are they all basic written work/essays/term papers on PC?
Homework, exams, and papers will be identical for each class, but presentations will look different, mainly based on which degree the Sim is pursuing. Each class will only require either a final exam, paper, or presentation. Sims may also pursue skill-building to help them in particular classes.
Are there midterms or finals? Or both? Big projects, similar to the box projects we currently have for kids and teens?
There are final exams, as well as final papers and presentations.
What are the real world advantages of getting an university degree?
Having a degree will help a Sim jump into a career at a much higher level (past the branch for those that branch!), along with giving them higher pay, a signing bonus, faster PTO gain, and better work performance.
Do specific degrees boast certain careers, or does just a degree boost all careers?
Each degree gives boosts to specific higher-level career branches.
Can two or more degrees be pursued simultaneously? Do we have to re enroll the sims after completion of one degree if we want them to do another one?
Can you do more than one degree master at the same time? (Or at all)
(to both questions!): You cannot pursue more than one degree simultaneously. You can re-enrol for a different degree as soon as you’re done with one, though, or even switch degrees between terms, though you’ll lose some credits.
Can Sims take any classes and/or earn a degree online in any fashion? Thanks!
Sims can take skill classes at university classroom buildings or earn a degree slowly by only taking a single class a term while staying at home, but there is no strictly online-only version of getting a degree.
So if terms are a week by week basis how long does it take to graduate?
It takes 12 credits to graduate with a degree. You can take 1-4 credits (classes) per term. We expect the average degree to take 4 weeks (3 credits / term) though you can rush it or slow it down if you like!
Can professors get fired?
University NPC Professors cannot get fired. Players involved in the Education Career, who have selected the Professor branch can become fired like with any career.
Will the YA age normally when in Uni?
Yes, all Sims will age normally while enrolled in University.
Is the time spent in university longer or shorter depending on lifespan?
No, term length does not change for different lifespan lengths.
Can adults or elders go 'back' to University too?
Anyone Young Adult or older may attend University whenever they’d like after being accepted.
Do your sims age when they return like they did in prior games?
Sims age normally while attending university.
If we extend our Sims lives will University be longer?
No the university term lengths do not change
Can you have multiple sims in a household that attend to two different schools at the same time?
Yes, you can live at home together and go to the two separate Universities, but University Housing is restricted to one University at a time, so you will not be able to live in University Housing and go to two separate Universities.
Does Sims life continue for non played sims in a household while a sim is on uni?
If you split your household for a Sim to live on campus or away while attending university, they will behave like two different households (because they are.) If you remain in the same household as your original family, they will all still be playable like a single household is. ... There is some amount of progression that occurs for Sims already enrolled in university that are rotated away from. Unplayed Sims will finish their term and re-enrol, eventually graduating. Played Sims will finish their term but wait to re-enrol until the player rotates back to them. All Sims progressing in this way will earn an “average” grade while doing so.
Can sims end up with a degree when you create a sim with the story mode in CAS?
No, going through CAS story choices won’t give your Sim a degree.
Financial AidWhether your Sim chooses the hallowed halls of the University of Britechester with its focus on arts and humanities, or the cutting-edge Foxbury Institute and its science and tech slant, there’s a ton to do, see, and learn as they journey through higher education!
But before they start packing their bags, doing a little research on how they’re going to pay for education is a good idea. There are tons of scholarships and grants available for both academically and athletically gifted students, as well as need-based scholarships. If your Sim has already started down their career path and wants to further their education, they may want to consider a career scholarship. You’ll be able to find out which scholarships are available for your Sims to help cover their college costs.
Your Sims also have the opportunity to take out student loans to help fund their education, but be aware that payments will be due as soon as they graduate.- blog
Nonpayment results:
https://twitter.com/SimGuruMorgan/status/1191775857611698176
From reports on the Livestream, this seems to include the repo man (though from how people have described the Livestream, it might not look or be labelled the same as previous games).
There are both loans & scholarships: https://twitter.com/SimGuruFrost/status/1191823324747157505
https://twitter.com/TheSimCommunity/status/1192896134882172929 - re. the Livestream
Game Changer Q&A via @AlbaWaterhouse (Q&A was provided by the Game Changer Program and SimGuru/Maxis Studio):
Can you do odd jobs or part time jobs to pay your way through university?
Paying for university is done as a lump sum in the beginning (either through household funds or by taking out a loan.) If you choose to take out a loan, you will not have payments due until after you are no longer enrolled. If you’d like to get a jump start on paying off the loan, you may while in university, and you can attend while doing odd jobs or part time jobs. It’s all about managing your time.
Is there a limit to the amount of debt you can accrue with loans?
Loans are only accrued through student debt at this time. There is no reasonable limit, but the amount you get will depend on how many classes you take and the type of housing you selected. Loans are saved per Sim, though the funds come out of the household funds when paying.
Could you please tell us more about scholarships? What are some of the requirements? (eg merit-based, Orphan Fund, Alien Abduction Reparation Fund, etc)..
There are several different types of scholarships: those your Sim gets for just being a strong applicant and those that they need to apply to before enrolling to get a chance to win them. These latter scholarships will be awarded based on things like household funds/lot value (households with less money will be able to apply and more likely to win), particular skills (a sports scholarship will care about fitness skill, for example), and even where a Sim lives (Sims living in Willow Creek have a chance to win the Willow Creek Grant). A number of these scholarships are only available to Teen and Young Adult Sims.
But does the Repo Person only come to collect the Uni loans... or will they also appear when you don't pay your regular household bills?
At this time, the Repo Person will only come to collect on Student Loans. Regular Household bills behave as they always have.
Are loans available to non-students? Is the repoman returning as an unpaid loans bailiff?
The loans we added in this pack are “Student Loans.” At this time, you can only get them through the University flow. The Repo Person will collect on unpaid loans after a few warnings by taking an object, similarly to how they behaved in the past.
Will the repo man keep collecting items and deduct their value from your debt or is it a one-time visit to take something expensive?
You have a minimum payment that is due, which scales depending on the total amount of debt you owe. When the repo person comes, they will take an object that most closely reflects the price of the minimum payment due. After that, the cycle will refresh. If you don’t make your payments, you’ll be warned, and if you don’t pay, they’ll come back. Dun. Dun. Dun.
School OrganizationsExtra-Curricular Activities: ... join school organizations like robotics, debate, or art. The campus rumor mill also claims there’s a mysterious secret society on the lookout for new members, but we wouldn’t know anything about that (wink wink). - Announcement blog
- Britechester and Foxbury have unique student organizations- @icmnfrsh re. the Livestream
Game Changer Q&A via @AlbaWaterhouse (Q&A was provided by the Game Changer Program and SimGuru/Maxis Studio):
Are debate club and Robotics club exclusive to their respective universities?
The Debate Guild (Debate) belongs to the University of Britechester and the Bot Savants (Robotics) belongs to the Foxbury Institute. They are both University Organizations, which is different from the Get Together Club system.
Sports Teams: Are there just two/ What can they do game and competing wise/ Can we create our own? Thanks- again. If we can make our own teams can we create Basketball Teams using CL?
Each University has their own Soccer team, and their own E-Sports teams. As a student, you can join either of your school’s sports teams. They’ll practice on weekdays, and home & away rabbithole matches take place each week on Friday & Saturday, at each University’s arena. The two universities always compete against each other; there aren’t additional teams or player created teams to play for/against.
Are there special interactions between members of the sports/esports teams and their rivals? Can you goad to them about the latest win?
As a student, you can hang banners on your university’s arena in support of your team, or you can visit the other university’s arena and prank it by hanging your team’s banners on their building.
Will the secret society robes be in CAS or will they unlock?
The secret society robes (3 variants) are unlocked at the 3 different levels of the secret society organization
General ActivitiesBoth schools offer students a variety of amenities and opportunities to live either on-campus or off. Decorating dorm rooms, hanging out with roommates, or just playing a little ping pong are only a few of the new experiences your Sims can look forward to. Need to study for a big exam? Why not join a cram session at the commons? Don’t forget to squeeze in some fun After School Activities like joining the E-Sports or Soccer Team to put their skills in the spotlight or head to a spirit event at the bar dressed in their best school colors.
However! While pulling pranks on the other university or doing a little painting in the park can be a lot of fun, don’t let your Sims have so much fun they forget term papers, exams, presentations, and homework. Let your Sims get too distracted and their grades will likely drop – which could lead to big problems if they’re relying on a scholarship or grant.- blog
- You can prank the cafeteria serving station by "adding some spice"
- You can also prank the rival school's statue - @icmnfrsh re. the Livestream
- There's a stadium where you can put up your school's banner, join a sports team, or watch an e-sports or soccer match.
- You can also get pregnant while living on-campus
- You can befriend your professors, but the gurus said something about "waiting to graduate" to pursue something more? I'm not sure if it applies to every professor
- you can work a regular job while in university, but it won't automatically check for scheduling conflicts- @icmnfrsh re. the Livestream
Game Changer Q&A via @AlbaWaterhouse (Q&A was provided by the Game Changer Program and SimGuru/Maxis Studio):
Will sims have Ubrit and Foxbury specific interactions after they finish their degrees - Will the uni rivalries and friendships etc. be carried over to the real world post uni ?
Alumni of a university can continue any relationships they've forged while at school. They can also show their alumni pride by trying to start up a round of their school's cheer.
Scroll on down to Build/Buy and Careers/Traits/Activities etc. for more!
https://twitter.com/SimGuruFrost/status/1191876882322427904
https://twitter.com/SimGuruFrost/status/1192857261040750592
