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How Do You Deal With University?
elanorbreton
Posts: 14,541 Member
Hoping they have done HS totally different, since uni is such a boring grindfest.
It is so looooong with 12 credits required, I usually opt for the max 4 at a time so that I only have to do it on 3 repeats (I rotate away between semesters so that it is not a constant rinse and repeat job). I also make sure to group my sims up so that I can take a number of them through it all at the same time.
For certain jobs I really do want my sims to have degrees, but it is becoming so yawn-inducing.
So, what do you peeps do?
It is so looooong with 12 credits required, I usually opt for the max 4 at a time so that I only have to do it on 3 repeats (I rotate away between semesters so that it is not a constant rinse and repeat job). I also make sure to group my sims up so that I can take a number of them through it all at the same time.
For certain jobs I really do want my sims to have degrees, but it is becoming so yawn-inducing.
So, what do you peeps do?
How Do You Deal With University? 141 votes
What do you mean, grindfest? I love uni exactly as it is!
10%
15 votes
I do no more than a couple of credits at a time so they can actually have a social life, even though it means doing it longer.
26%
37 votes
Uni is just an extended party and my sims always get thrown out.
0%
1 vote
I no longer send sims to uni, it's too boring after playing it once/twice/however many times.
17%
25 votes
I cheat to get my sims their degrees (details please).
3%
5 votes
I use a mod to change certain aspects (details please).
9%
14 votes
I don't care about degrees, my sims can have whatever job I want to give them.
8%
12 votes
Other
22%
32 votes
2
Comments
*rolls eyes*
The 8 credits version works best with normal lifespan in my opinion. I hear it's a bit finnicky when you aim for more a single degree, but cannot tell you details, because I didn't need that function so far.
Alternately you could rule that some careers require "some college". The sim would work towards 2-4 credits and instead of a degree they'd get the "Connections" reward trait that lets them skip to level three of a career (cheat the required satisfaction points if needed).
In my own game it's less of a problem, because I play rotationally with aging off. My students take an orientation week (1 main class + 1 elective), then do some practical learning depending on their major, then they spend a long time unplayed and by the time I rotate back to them resuming uni doesn't feel like a chore. Just like you I group them together in the same household for uni, but that's less to cut down on the time requirement and more for socializing/micromanaging.
this, or I don't care
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Oh I may weep forevermore, My love will never die..
Reading 4 courses is not too difficult once you know what to do, but the problem with that is that you just end up doing tasks over and over again, and that's not what The Sims 4 is good at, the game is good for creativity and building relationships etc. not do tasks, and if you live in the dorms then you will just end up being annoyed at all the roommates who are useless.
It's also one of the packs that I feel suffered a lot from The Sims 4 not being open world.
I'm going to look into this shorter university mod. I've been looking for one.
But for the past year I've been playing a vanilla game. Then I just do 3 credits per semester and pause aging for a week or 2. Or do 4 credits and buy the moodlet solver potion to cram all the school work on the last day.
But yeah Uni is waaaaay too academics focused and the parts that does add more college life are too shallow, like the clubs and the secret society.
I am playing tonight.
So right now it's Friday and I sent them to Britechester campus to the student commons and things suddenly got more interesting.
Right away I saw that one of the dormies that came along was brokenhearted.
That's all Edgar needs to know. She's single now. Time to chat her up.
Also, students from past rotations are still in the clubs I formed and they hang out here in the commons.
So there are more sims going about commons activities.
This dormie is Angelina, and she has no interest in Edgar at all.
Poor Sofia used a pranked toilet.
She's a High Maintenance sims and this really set her off. I had to work to calm her down.
I added a basement to the commons for more things to do.
Unfortunately, a NPC mixologist will not spawn for the bar, and currently there is no one working the cafeteria, so I just have my sims operate it for each other.
And a perfect opportunity for Edgar to get to know Nozomi better.
There is going to be a romance happening before the weekend is up.
There are a lot of things to do in my custom dorm. I just need to take lighter loads to enjoy them.
Unfortunately I am trying to get the rest of my sims through Uni quickly. Or at least I was, until High School Years was announced.
Now I will spend extra time in their High School years.
I've taken to taking pictures of my sims and the dormies.
The sorting wall, I think these three capture Edgar best, but I will go with the framed one.
It's for the wall. My sims are on the top.
My favorite dormies are on the bottom.
Next week is their final week
I will try to alternate days between operating from the dorms and operating from the student commons to mix things up and get some of that campus atmosphere.
When they graduate, they will go back to my prep school, which is a rotation point for groups of sims taking turns at Uni.
There are currently three high school students back there waiting their turn to rotate into Uni, after they graduate.
I can see the discussion during the creation of this so-called expansion...
First developer: What can we add to make University fun and immersive for the player
Second developer: Let's not do that homework and rabbit holes they will love it! oh and toss in a bike only adults can use
So glad the high school pack is everything University should have been
The only way I can get my sims to complete their degree is by using a mod that makes it so I only have 6 credits for them to do. I usually do 2 units at a time so they only have to go there 3 times which is better. It also makes it so I can through keg parties more often and actually have my sim have time to be in the organizations and do actual gameplay things.
EDIT: What I have noticed when using a mod like this however is that when I get my sim to work in a career that is based on their completed degree their skills are not as high as they would have been when doing the vanilla 12 credits. It is a little annoying since my sim just became a scientist (never done this career before even though I've had the pack since release) her handiness skill is only level 4 so some of the equipment she needs to use to check the boxes for work can't be done because she can't do specific things if her skill is lower than needed.
As the sims in my worlds expands with new births, lately I just group the young adults from teen yrs into one house then send them all together to the dorms, other student housing or have them live with the Elderberries in Britechester. The work is grinding but when they finish a semester I send them to Sulani or whatever for vacation. It's also nice if you ave a spellcastor that can create the plenty of needs potion so they can do their studies and activities with their organizations without needing to stop to take care of their basic needs.. One time I had my own 8 sims livng in the dorms but somehow added an NPC dormie that brought food all the time. That was fun. I also fill the dorms/student housing with lots of activities to help them with fun, workout, emotions, skills and etc. Basically I'd rather send a bunch of sims at one time to get their degree instead of one at a time.
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I was going to say just that.
So yeah, "Other" for me, too, although I usually grind through the entire thing at once, sometimes grouping together various students that wouldn't know each other normally. And I have to say that doing this one too many times has soured my opinion of the pack somewhat. It wouldn't be half as bad if university was more compatible with rotational play, though.
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I don't use MCCC.
If I send them, I get it over with as soon as possible. I grind them through unless I decide to play a different storyline because something else has caught my attention or am testing something in another household.
@EnkiSchmidt
You have inspired me. That is ingenius.
Maybe "work-study" programs like volunteering at the soup kitchen for culinary, cleaning up trash for conservationist, etc. This would alleviate the fact that getting into a job has no real requirements, but without needing 3 whole weeks to get one degree.
Their lighter course loads allow my Sims to do more than academic activities. They can participate in campus activities, socialize, and relax. They also live at home, but they usually hang out on campus every day, or in other places in Britechester.
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Yevsas mairzeemo!
This is extremely similar to what I do! I don't think I've met someone before who played so similarly.
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Also, this isn't a mod, but I've made over all the university housing in a way that gives them more playability and character (imo) and download them into every save, which on its own has made dorm living SO MUCH more fun for me (still wouldn't want to do it for 4+ weeks tho).
With those changes which allowed me to explore more of the school organizations and events and such along with classes, I actually have one save where I play with a sim that I keep sending back to school with the goal of collecting ALL the degrees. I was then gonna use those degrees to be able to max every branch of every career without using reset cheats (normally, once you choose a branch there's not really a way to go back and do the other, but with a degree you can just skip to the branch you want). I was having a lot of fun with it too, but got some of the wind taken out of my sails regarding it when I discovered that, even tho I can go to the second branch of a career with the degree and max it and everything, that branch's build rewards still remain locked without cheats. It shouldn't be that big a deal, I could just cheat them of course, but it was just such bummer to me in the moment that I haven't been back to that save since lol.
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