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College life may not be all it’s cracked up to be, but it’s a gameplay staple ofThe Simsfranchise. The Sims 2: University was the first time college - and Young Adults generally - were introduced to the series, adding a huge amount of depth to the gameplay at the same time.
Because of how much extra content was added with the DLC, getting settled in on campus can be daunting. There are a few steps you have to take to get college started, and they aren’t always intuitive. More than that, there are a few things to keep in mind once you get there.
University Campuses, Explained
Naturally, to play with most of the features from The Sims 2: University, you’ll need toadd a college campusto your neighbourhood. This adds a number of differentplaces for college students to liveand hang around in.
Which Universities Are There?
By default, there arethree pre-built university campusesyou can add to any world in The Sims 2:
If none of them pique your interest, then you can also design your own college town from scratch, much like you could design any new map.
Make sure you manually add one (or several) of these campuses to whicheverneighbourhood you’re playing inbefore you get started. You can add the same campus to multiple neighbourhoods if you want, but each of them will be separate.
You won’t be able to send Sims to college or access Create A Student until you add a campus to your chosen neighbourhood.
How To Add A College Campus To A Neighbourhood
Open up a neighbourhoodfrom the home screen or enter the Neighbourhood menu from Live Mode. Navigate to thetoolbar at the topof the screen on the neighbourhood overview.
Click the buttonwith agraduation capon it. This will open up a menu which allows you tochoose which campusyou want to add. You should also be able to see a short summary of each place alongside a screenshot.
Select your chosen campus(or add all of them) and wait for the game to load while college is under construction. After it’s done its thing, it’llopen up the campus automaticallyand you’ll be all ready to get started with college life.
How To Get Into University
AnyTeen Sim can use a phone or computerto go to university. When selecting a phone, choose theCall menu then select College. When they call, they will be given a few options. They can apply for scholarships, review accepted scholarships, oruse Move To College.
Sims don’t have to apply and wait to be approved for university in The Sims 2, so a taxi will head their way topick them up straight away. When they’ve been picked up, they’ll be added to theFamily Bin in the campus subneighbourhood.
You canmove your Simstraight into a property from the Family Bin. This also gives you the chance tomerge them with another household. you may also choose to use theCreate A Student menuhere instead, if you’d rather make a Sim from scratch.
The process is much the same if you choose a computer instead of a phone. But this time, you’ll choose theCollege interaction, followed by eitherMove To College. Similarly, you can apply for scholarships from here.
Unfortunately, Adult and Elder Sims have missed their chance at college. However, you coulduse cheats to age a Sim downto a Teen and then start the process.
Using The Family Bin To Send Sims To College
If there is a Teen Sim in the Family Bin of any neighbourhood, then you can also use theSend Teens to College toolto start things off. They must haveat least a D- gradeat High School for this to work.
The Send Teens to College button can befound in the Family Bin, again noted by a graduation cap. If you click on it, it gives you the option of merging any eligible Teens into a household together. After you’ve selected your Sims, they’ll be sent to thecampus Family Bin.
College campuses also come with pre-loaded families, so if you want to skip the fuss then you can just start playing as one of those. Some households already live in properties while others are in the Family Bin.
Understanding The Young Adult Life Stage
The Sims 2: University introduced the Young Adult life stage.Young Adults can do almost anything Adults cando, besides get married, pregnant, or take on a full-time job.
This life stage is only available to Simsenrolled at university.Any Sim who goes to university willautomatically become a Young Adult. When they graduate, they’ll grow up into regular Adults.
Alternatively, you canmake them using Create A Studentmode. This works similarly to Create A Sim but allows you to make Young Adult Sims from scratch, which you’re able to’t normally do.
You can also just make Teen Sims in a regular neighbourhood like Pleasantville and send them straight to university as soon as you load the household in.
Tuition Fees And Scholarships
College is completely freein The Sims 2. In fact, Teen Sims who go to college will begiven 500 Simoleonsto start off the next chapter of their lives. It doesn’t go very far, but it’s something.
Teens can alsoapply for scholarshipsto help make college life a bit more comfortable. You can do this with a computer or phone using the same method you use to send a Teen to university. Sadly, Young Adult Sims have left it too late andcan’t do this.
you may also review which scholarships you’ve accepted under the same menu you would use to apply for them in the first place.
What Can I Study At University?
At first, all Freshmen Sims will havean Undecided Major. But, Studious Simsneed to choose a Majorat University. Thankfully, they have quite a few options to choose from:
Your Sim will have to be prepared tolevel their skillsthroughout their courses. Which skills they level willdepend on which Majorthey choose, but in general Sims can expect to graduate as pretty well-rounded individuals.
When you go to declare your Sim’s Major, you’llsee a clear overviewof exactly what each Major has to offer. You’ll be able to see a course summary,a list of jobsthat your Sim should get a leg-up for, andwhich skills they’ll levelwhile on their course.
College graduates havemore employment opportunitiesavailable to them than Sims who skipped school. This includes Artist, Natural Scientist, Paranormal, and Show Business.
TheMajors can also be associated with other careersfrom other DLC, and they tend to be pretty self-explanatory. For example, Psychology is associated with the Education career, and Biology is linked to Medicine.
How To Declare A Major
When you’re ready to decide what to dedicate your Sim’s time to, you’re able to grab a computer and contact the Registrar.Select College, then clickRegistrar - Change Major. A window will open giving you everything you need to know about each course.
Pick your Sim’s Major byclicking on the relevant iconandclicking the tickat the bottom of the box. If you aren’t sure which icon corresponds to which course, don’t worry; it’ll tell you which course it is and what it entails when you click it.
Sims must declare their Major before their third year of college. If they don’t, they’ll automatically become Philosophy Majors - which, to be fair, has its own benefits.
How To Drop Out Of College
Sick of frat boys and animal mascots? Sims who want out can bail at any time. Just select the phone anduse the College interactionagain. When your Sim dials college, one of the options available will be toDrop Out Of College.
Not only is this immediate, it’s also irreversible. Sims who drop out and go home will age up into Adults on leaving campus. So, don’t make this decision lightly.
Where Can University Students Live?
Allstudents must live on campus. This means they couldn’t live somewhere like Strangetown and commute for classes. While living on campus, Sims have a couple of different lot types to choose from:
On-campus residential houses
Greek societies
Fraternities and sororities.
Dorms
Private rooms in large properties shared with other students.
You’llhave to applyand be accepted to get intoa Greek society, while you can justrent a dorm or house immediately. Campus houses are more expensive than dorms while being the most like regular off-campus properties in The Sims 2.
If you choose to move into a dorm, you’ll have toclaim which roomyou want by selecting a door andclicking Claim Door. Once your Sim has successfully grabbed a room, their face will appear on the door. Act quick before someone else gets the room you want!
For the Sims who want a taste of Greek living, they’ll naturally need to jump through a few more hoops. To apply for a frat or sorority, select a phone andchoose Greek House then Join. But, for a successful rush, you’ll have tomake friends with other membersof your chosen society.
If you want to enjoy frat or sorority life, don’t go to Académie Le Tour. It doesn’t have any Greek societies.
