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University is too hard

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  • BlackLlamaBlackLlama Posts: 7 New Member
    edited March 2013
    UL is the first Sims 3 exp. that actually has had some difficulty (in terms or work/life/social) balance to it. I've found it to be quite refreshing :D You can't hit that "juicer" party until 1am and expect to thrive in your 8am class. I learned that my first week through after bombing my exam.
  • michellehilbrandmichellehilbrand Posts: 2,331 Member
    edited March 2013
    In the promo, they said not to party the night before an exam. My sim did and I was surprised to find his bar down the next day. He had to beg for a good score. Are you pentalized if you party the night before? I cheated on his needs so he was in a good mood. I had him there for two weeks and he started the second week with a full bar that was filled the week before so I thought, he could relax the next week but it seemed to be harder to get his bar up the second week and he ended up with an A instead of A+.
  • mishymacdmishymacd Posts: 38 Member
    edited March 2013
    Any one playing with multiple sims in different majors? Because I am, and I noticed that if Sim A is texting during class her performance bar is going down (as it should), and although Sim B is studying at the time, Sim B's performance drops along with Sims A, until I select Sim B and then the performance bar will go up for both Sims.

    BTW I have tested this, so this has to be a bug.


  • lisamwittlisamwitt Posts: 5,079 Member
    edited March 2013
    It is irritating, but as others said, it does seem to pass. First term for my sim was really hard. My performance bar dropped while my sim was eating, sleeping, etc. dramatically. Second term, I had no problem at all getting it up and keeping it there. When my second sim went, I still had no trouble at all. Going to class, a bit of studying and it stayed up. She was able to party and socialize, fulfill her needs, and it barely moved. So it does seem to only be a problem the very first time you go to university.
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  • mikitta47mikitta47 Posts: 2,250 New Member
    edited March 2013
    I honestly find TS3 Uni to be a bit more complex than TS2 Uni was. However, it's fairly easy to get a good grade. You go to class, lab and lecture, you study twice, you play with your major toy twice and then you beg for a passing grade during your tests.

    I also spend a LOT of time working up skills, which seem to have a bigger effect on progress.

    Also, if you make sure your sims has a full green happy bar - they will ace the tests.

    As for roomies - I haven't had much issue with them, but I do like the idea of replacing the stove with a buffet table.

    God Bless,
    mik
  • ninmahninmah Posts: 9
    edited March 2013
    Try looking at the Sim's Traits. Some trait descriptions have added a line and say they're affecting the Sim's Grades now. Daredevil and Brave help Technology. etc. And some Traits hurt their grades too! Try using the Testingcheatsenabled true on that Sim to change a few of them and see if that helps.
  • 1159hi1159hi Posts: 12
    edited March 2013
    Hey guys my friend is making a series soon and needs some voice actors and some writers for a sims 3 series on youtube. He's really awsome he just needs some help. He recently lost his youtube channel which had alot of viewers but he didnt post for a while so they deleted his account. Anyway he is back and needs some subsribers, viewers and fans! lol so help him out, pass the word arround heres the channel : http://www.youtube.com/user/MrExecutiveDirector

    Thanks
  • lydiad206lydiad206 Posts: 3,747 Member
    edited March 2013
    Well there's a mod too stop UL decay now for all of you that don't want it:

    http://mysims3blog.blogspot.com/2013/03/ul-no-academic-performance-decay-150-by.html
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  • SashikuChanSashikuChan Posts: 50
    edited March 2013
    It's not too easy, but It was much easier when playing a genie. I only had one sim die. Some old dude. He was in the backyard starving to death in my sims fraternity house. So my sim was a genie and thanks to him, his roommates stayed fed, clean, ans *for the most part* rested. Not to mention I didn't have to waste money on hiring a maid.
  • Cleopatra4012Cleopatra4012 Posts: 22 Member
    edited March 2013
    Jaq68 wrote:
    Sorry to be off topic, don't post much but I have been reading these posts on UL and every time someone talks about the sims "burning down the house" I hear that Talking Heads song. :lol:

    Again sorry had to share. Link for people that don't know the song :-
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNnAvTTaJjM


    I hear it too, then again I have it playing on Spotify
  • sirona66sirona66 Posts: 5,196 Member
    edited March 2013
    Andijvie wrote:
    This is the first I am hearing of this problem. My sim attended her classes and lectures, she studied once in a while and she finished off with an A. Has your sim been using their major object? How often do they study?
    my sim just used her major object... And her performance was actually decreasing while doing that... Weird! She's majoring in science by the way.

    if the object is the bones one, one option helps with one thing and the other part of that object helps with another thing. this is as far as i read so far .. continueing.
  • stilljustme2stilljustme2 Posts: 25,082 Member
    edited March 2013
    I've found that with taking a full load (18 units), if you choose the "Study Hard" tone, your performance will slowly go down, but the "Study Normal" tone makes it go up. Try adjusting how you study, how long you use your major items, and such. Also working on skills while you're at University can help as well -- I put a sculpting station in my Fine Arts Sim's dorm room and had him do some sculpting during down time and that helped keep his grades up (he finished his first two terms with an A). And he spent a lot of time at parties and hanging out with the Rebels and dumpster diving.
    Check out my Gallery! Origin ID: justme22
    Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
  • stilljustme2stilljustme2 Posts: 25,082 Member
    edited March 2013
    mikitta47 wrote:
    I honestly find TS3 Uni to be a bit more complex than TS2 Uni was. However, it's fairly easy to get a good grade. You go to class, lab and lecture, you study twice, you play with your major toy twice and then you beg for a passing grade during your tests.

    I also spend a LOT of time working up skills, which seem to have a bigger effect on progress.

    Also, if you make sure your sims has a full green happy bar - they will ace the tests.

    As for roomies - I haven't had much issue with them, but I do like the idea of replacing the stove with a buffet table.

    God Bless,
    mik

    I have a Genie Sim in one save; I have him whip up perfect meals every day then use the Call Household To Meal option to get everyone to eat so that pretty much avoids the Starving Sim Syndrome. 8) I also make sure the Fireproof upgrade is on the stove, either have my Sim do it or I use NRaas Debug Enabler, as well as modifying the dorm before I get there in Edit Town mode by giving the dorm a better stove (I usually go with the Tri-Forge since that increases the speed in learning Cooking), and I also add things like the deep fryer and a food processor because that can speed up meal prep time. (There's usually enough room in the kitchen area to add another counter or two if you rearrange things just a bit.)
    Check out my Gallery! Origin ID: justme22
    Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
  • AroundtherowanAroundtherowan Posts: 1
    edited March 2013
    In my case, something is definitely wonky. I've played around a bit with a couple of fresh university games. Out of five sims, four were horribly easy (and all art majors) and one is borked(and a technology major). All had traits in line with their majors with nothing that should really work against them. I've tried with mods and without.

    That one sim I cannot keep her progress bar above half. Resetting the sim brings it back to half, which is actually an improvement during some semesters. The only way I could get it to progress above half was to study hard, level up appropriate skills, work with major objects constantly, keep her motive bars topped off, and work hard at all classes. She only took a break to tend to needs. More often that not the progress bar decreased when it should be increasing and if it increased it was very little. If she didn't go at it constantly, her progress bar would drop faster than I could raise it. She always failed her exams and somehow managed to eek out a B one semester. Oh and I also made her a vampire to take advantage of the night perks. Not that it helped that much. The other two sims in her household that are in university both had their progress bars maxed the first Monday by using appropriate objects and only attended class twice to keep it topped off. They also had fewer skills to start with than my struggling sim. All aces and partying for those two. Go figure.
  • kosaprimerakosaprimera Posts: 2
    edited March 2013
    Same here, my first sim for university life is a genius and she started the technology major, she was logic 4 and during the first semester she get to the 3 of handiness. She attended to all lessons and classes, I made her study and study hard like 5 times during the week, she used her special major object like 5 hours that week. I made her try hard during the exam and she was in a good mood. She failed! her performance kept going down constantly almost always and it was really hard to improve, for example when she was in class it just stopped moving but not improving. I don't know what can I do without cheating.

    (Sorry for my English)
  • Leah1980Leah1980 Posts: 907 Member
    edited March 2013
    I expected it to be some what difficult but I dont find it to be. I know that during the week my sim needs to study and I keep his bar as close to full as I can then let him goof off or work on his skills. I've not had any problems what so ever. In fact he' always has the Dean's list moodlet.

    Forgot to add my sim studies hard everytime and studies hard every class and I dont let him sleep thru the speaker talking.
    Post edited by Unknown User on
  • VeronicaLakeVeronicaLake Posts: 13 New Member
    edited March 2013
    manismith wrote:
    I have no idea if the game is supposed to be like this, but the actual university thing seems to be much too difficult. My sim attended all her classes on time, she studied multiple times, used her major object and worked hard in all classes.

    Only to completely fail both her exams.

    Her performance bar thingy has never been much over halfway, and this seems to be because every last second she isn't studying or attending class it decreases really fast. I'm getting really fed up with this and it's making me regret buying the game at all, because it just seems impossible.

    Can anyone tell me if the game is supposed to be this hard, or if I'm just not doing something i should be?

    Thanks a bunch for this tabcast idea. It made all the difference.


    My sim's first term was pretty hard but I managed to squeak out a C. Going back for the second term I did things a little differently. I used my Tablet to work on skills needed for the Technology major which kept my bar moving up but my sims could still do other things while listening to the tabcast. I did more study groups which filled both the social needs and the academic bar. I also asked the professor for extra credit which showed up like any other opportunity would. Between these and going to class I managed to fill the academic bar before the test. Once it was full, it was pretty easy to maintain.

    Also for the roomies, I would have my sim cook a group meal and call everyone to eat. I also put a microwave and slushie maker in the kitchen which made it easier for them to feed themselves. I assigned them all beds and they seemed a little more likely to go to sleep (even though some still passed out on the floor).

    In the end my second term went much better than the first and I ended with an A and was still able to party and socialize. My advice is to make sure you're working on the specific skills in addition to using the major object and studying. Not to worry though, it will get easier as you catch on to what works best for you :-).
  • pepperjax1230pepperjax1230 Posts: 7,953 Member
    edited March 2013
    :shock: How is it hard I have my sim take 24 credits clean the sorority house and go to parties and she still gets an A. Plus my sim studies. They have to be in a high mood to pass the tests.
    tenor.gif?itemid=5228641
  • KatzMeowzKatzMeowz Posts: 894 Member
    edited March 2013
    Cinebar wrote:
    Jarsie9 wrote:
    Go easy on the original poster, Cinebar. You and I are veteran players and we know all the tricks of the trade or can figure them out quickly enough. I honestly cannot watch Let's Play Sims video because I end up talking back to the person who made the video.

    Just once, I wish someone would make a "Let's Play" that was rational, and that actually *taught* people the best strategies for playing the game. Anyway, to the OP: The learning curve is pretty steep, but practice makes perfect. Next time, do yourself a favor and save frequently...and save the game on Thursday night. That way, if your Sim fails the exam, just quit without saving and reload the game.

    You are rigth Jarsie, I'm just afraid the Gurus will patch the game to be even easier. I guess those of us that know how to get around things that are driving crazy in a game do sound a little condesending and I didn't really mean to do that.

    I'm sorry OP, but if they are burning down the house, then sell the stove and buy a buffet table. At least in this version of Uni you can alter the inside of dorms walls in build mode, and remodel etc. In TS2 you couldn't move a wall, knock down a wall or anything while Sims were living there. I guess that is one of the reasons I think TS3's Uni is so easy. Need more money and don't have good enough grades to apply for more money at the Administration Bldg to buy that buffet table..then decreas the size of a room..and get a money back on a wall.

    That is just old tricks of how to get around a snarly cat. :lol:

    BTW, there's no "cheating" in sims. People can play however they like.

    I'm a veteran player and I'm watching my sim's progress bar plummet and I'm not sure why. I haven't even started to try and figure out what's causing it. That's one of the reasons why I'm here on the forum at the moment. So, go ahead, be nasty to me about it too, cause the OP isn't the only one experiencing this issue. Oh, and yes, it is making Uni frustrating. I don't play sims to be frustrated!
  • Meta4riaMeta4ria Posts: 48 New Member
    edited April 2013
    There has to be some glitch. I've tried with 3 different sims. Third time, I focused on nothing but keeping needs and grades up and still failed exam. This with a workaholic, bookworm, Sim with a good luck charm on her.
  • DiamondkoolDiamondkool Posts: 4,481 Member
    edited April 2013
    It depends on how much credits you apply for unless it's a bug. My sim has gratituded with A straight and she went through three terms, first term she applied for 6 credits and for the rest, 12 credits. Also, she have also taken aptitude tests and it rewarded her more credits.

    By the way, I've used tablet to help her build skills. :P

    Well, building skills would be very helpful. ;)
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  • stilljustme2stilljustme2 Posts: 25,082 Member
    edited April 2013
    Cinebar wrote:
    Jarsie9 wrote:
    Go easy on the original poster, Cinebar. You and I are veteran players and we know all the tricks of the trade or can figure them out quickly enough. I honestly cannot watch Let's Play Sims video because I end up talking back to the person who made the video.

    Just once, I wish someone would make a "Let's Play" that was rational, and that actually *taught* people the best strategies for playing the game. Anyway, to the OP: The learning curve is pretty steep, but practice makes perfect. Next time, do yourself a favor and save frequently...and save the game on Thursday night. That way, if your Sim fails the exam, just quit without saving and reload the game.

    You are rigth Jarsie, I'm just afraid the Gurus will patch the game to be even easier. I guess those of us that know how to get around things that are driving crazy in a game do sound a little condesending and I didn't really mean to do that.

    I'm sorry OP, but if they are burning down the house, then sell the stove and buy a buffet table. At least in this version of Uni you can alter the inside of dorms walls in build mode, and remodel etc. In TS2 you couldn't move a wall, knock down a wall or anything while Sims were living there. I guess that is one of the reasons I think TS3's Uni is so easy. Need more money and don't have good enough grades to apply for more money at the Administration Bldg to buy that buffet table..then decreas the size of a room..and get a money back on a wall.

    That is just old tricks of how to get around a snarly cat. :lol:

    You can also edit the dorm to give better quality items -- I always replace the refrigerator, stove and microwave (in Edit Town mode so it doesn't cost me anything), and sometimes I'll even add the Deep Fryer from the Store and the dorm mates will use that -- no fire risk with that as far as I've seen. If my Sim has enough handiness skill I'll upgrade the stove to Fireproof on the first night, since you can't really study or do much anyway. (I'll have to make sure my Witch has enough magical experience to do the Magical Upgrade on the stove.)

    I also replace the showers (I use the ones from Pets -- they don't cost a lot but no risk of a cold one).

    Sometimes I miss my genie Sim; he whipped up perfect meals for him and his dorm mates every day, and was able to clean them and the dorm any time.

    As for the dropping bar, I've seen this reported before but I've never had it happen in game -- it will drop a little bit when I'm out of class or not studying but not too much. How heavy a class load is your Sim taking? I've found the heavier the class load, the harder it is to keep up, especially in Science or Technology. Fine Arts seems to be the easiest major, and if you give your Sim a guitar in inventory, they can play any time both to earn money from tips (I was making a good $100-200 a day just playing a few hours at the student union) and to raise their performance level in class since Music is one of the key skills. (I would send my Sim early to the area outside the class building and have him play guitar for a few hours before the final exam, and he graduated with straight A's.)
    Check out my Gallery! Origin ID: justme22
    Fun must be always -- Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks hockey player)
  • diana923diana923 Posts: 5
    edited April 2013
    Jarsie9 wrote:
    I have a question for those who are having problems with the performance bar. Are you keeping up with your Sim's needs? I've noticed in a lot of the "Let's Play University Life" videos that the player often has their Sims in the red or yellow or orange...they're so busy trying out new things, that they neglect to keep those needs bars up into the green.

    I suspect that may be part of the reason that Sims are failing when they should be passing. The SimGurus *did* say that the point of Uni Life was for your Sims to find the right balance between studying and socializing. So, if you're focusing too much on studying and not enough time on relieving stress, that may be a big part of the reason the performance bar doesn't go up or decreases. So far the main complaint has gone something like this: "My Sim works his/her tail off studying and going to class, and he's still failing."

    I'm not saying that there *isn't* a glitch. I'm just saying that it's possible that it's not the game, but the strategies that players are using that work against them.
    I know right. With my sims, their plumbbob hardly turns yellow or orange. Also when your in CAS make sure the traits you choose benefit the degree your sims want. Studying is good too but try to gain the skills your sims need. I have no problems and i don't use cheats or mod [what is a mod anyway].
  • NxyDolliNxyDolli Posts: 269
    edited April 2013
    I find 18-credit weeks a nightmare - endless classes and the constant need to study leaves my sim too exhausted to do anything else, but she still finished with an A grade. The first thing my sim does is try to befriend her professor (can't hurt having the person grading you actually like you), and when they become best friends, invite the professor round and ask for extra credit. Then study a lot (even doing it alone helps) and then the morning of the exams study for a bit just before you go in, and then always either try hard or beg the professor (I tried cheating once, and it ended horrifically - I nearly cried, never mind my sim!)

    So far I haven't got anything less than an A.
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited April 2013
    There may be real problem with the performance bar dropping suddenly, but is does drop very slowly. That is normal. I think everyone knows that.
    However, you will find Sims' college much too easy for some Sims. Those that have more than one trait needed for the major they are taking, those that gain skills faster than others, and those they are in a really good mood (aspiration bar is full).

    During test, if your Sims 'fun' drops too much they will fail the exam everytime. Because Sims that get stressed out easily (depends on traits) have a harder time maintaining a high aspiration bar. It is better to only take 6 credits per either for one week or two..you won't have to do work in two different classes.

    A better bed, a better fridge, a better stove, etc...keeps Sims full and happy moodlets for longer periods of time. So do other things that give them boost in asipiration bar. As long it is high (or very high up there) the Sim will do very well.

    You can study from the book in their inventory until you get a mooldet they are primed for class. Extra credit works wonders, and keeping the Sim happy is the key. As long as the Sim is very, very happy you won't have any problems.

    If you are taking more than one class make sure to do everything for both classes not just the one. Some things work faster. Gives a better boost to the meter. Gaining a writing skill boost it up (if needed) higher than doing something else..even better than the college object (radio).

    As long as your Sim's meter is passed very near the top and they either beg for a good grade, and or try hard on the exam and their mood is very happy and needs are full they will pass. Don't put the game on fast speed during tests!!
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
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