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van Dorn
11th Dec 2011, 10:12 PM
The Higher Education Challenge
Seeing how there is no university in the Sims 3, there is now a beautiful little challenge. The goal is to make your Sims live a little bit and get them edu-ma-cated before they take their places as contributing adults of Sim society. Each major is skill-based and the challenge runs on a point system. There is also a time limit. Each sim has 14 days to complete the challenge. There are certain restrictions. But first, the majors:

Majors

Culinary Arts: Cooking/ Nectar Making (WA)
Art: Painting/Photography/Sculpting (WA/AMB)
Viticulture: Nectar Making (WA) /Gardening
Sports: Athletic/ Martial Arts (WA)
Engineering: Handiness/ Inventing (AMB)
Chemistry: Logic (based on potion creation) (MUST HAVE GEN)
Biology: Gardening/ Fishing
Music: Musical skill (Any instrument)
Literature: Writing (And Books read)
Horseplay: Riding (for the Sim) and Jumping and Racing (for the Horse) (PETS)
Vocal Music Theory: Singing! (SHT)
Show Performance: Check point distribution for explanation.
Child Development: Check point distribution for explanation.
Geology: Cuts unlocked, simoleans earned from sale of RGM.

Point Distribution


Culinary Arts: 1 points per skill level of Nectar Making and Cooking each. 2 points for each level of cooking if only base game is available. 1 point for each recipe learned. If only base game, add 7 points to recipes learned at the end.

Art: 1 point per skill level of each artistic skill, unless base game (3 points per skill level). 1 point for each 1000 simoleans earned from selling creations.

Viticulture: 1 point per skill level of each skill. 1 point for every 10 bottles of nectar made/ 500 simoleans made from selling produce.

Sports: 1 point per skill level of each skill. 5 points for winning any sparring matches in the tournament and 1 point for every 25 hours that a sim does an athletic activity.

Engineering: 1 point per skill level of each skill. 2 points for learning each invention. Simbots are 20. 1 point for each 1000 simoleans earned from selling creations. If used with Nrass Self Employed Career Mod (http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Careers+SelfEmployed+Phase+Ten)
then, you will earn 1 point per 250 simoleans.

Chemistry: 1 point per skill level of logic. 1 point for each potion learned. If used with the right mod, (http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=450035), you can get 1 point for each 1000 simoleans earned from the sale of these potions.

Biology: 1 point per skill level of each skill. 1 point for every 100 simoleans made from the sales of your produce. You can also get 20 bonus points for having a garden that only has perfect plants. (A garden requires at least 3 plants of 5 different crops). Only starting plants can be purchased from the grocery store.

Music: 1 point for every skill level of musical instrument skills. For base game only, the sim would receive 4 points per skill point 1 point for each additional composition learned unless base game only (4 points per composition). 2 points for each 1000 simoleans earned from playing for tips or with the band.

Literature: 1 point for every skill level of writing. 1 point for every 4 books read. 1 point for every 2000 simoleans earned from novel writing.

Horseplay (Punny, right?): 1 point for every skill level of riding, jumping, or racing. 5 points for every competition won. Every 25 hours rode, is 2 points. (This obviously requires a horse, and therefore, pets). 5 points for each foal born and raised to adulthood. 10 points for catching a unicorn and getting it to join your home. (PETS)

Vocal Music Theory: Singing! Only way to get points for this is by doing singing tasks--concerts, sing-o-grams, etc. 1 point for every 200 simoleans made? Also, 2 points for each level of the career that has been reached. (E.g. A sim reaches level 8, he/she gets 16 points.) (SHT)

Show Performance: Acrobatics/Magician. Only way to get points for this is by doing tasks appropriate for the path you are taking--shows, doing tricks for tips, etc. 1 point for every 200 simoleans made? (SHT)

Child Development: Kind of daycare-ish. 5 points for every child born. 1 point for every life skill (talking, walking, potty) each child masters. 1 point for every toddler skill (peg box, etc) they master. 5 points for mastering child cooking. Oh, and five points for having twins. Every recital (or equivalent) that your child wins, five points for that. Helping them master driving in one day is five points, in two days: three points, one point for all other durations. Also, if you graduate with this major, let your sim start the daycare track at level three, five if they miraculously manage High Honors.

Geology: 1 point per cut unlocked,except sculptor's egg. 1 point per 500 simoleans earned. This is related to the science career.
Scholar Classes

Less than 10 points OR did not master any core skills: Fail. You are not granted any privileges. You did not finish a degree, so you may go to McFattie’s and fry burgers.
10-20 points: Graduated. Congrats. You may be given a level 3 job if related to your major (entry level otherwise) and 1000 simoleans.
21-50: Graduated with Honors. Excellent. You may be given a level 5 job if related to your major (entry level otherwise) and 5000 simoleans.
50-75: Graduated with High Honors. Fantastic! Enjoy your degree while working your level 8 (if major related) job and take 10000 simoleans.
75+: Graduated with Simantics Prize. Quite incredible! Enjoy your degree, work your level 10 job (5 otherwise), and take away 20000 simoleans.

Base Rules
Look! We have rules:

No mods relating to productivity, speed, etc. e.g. (Faster garden tasks, faster writing, faster skills, more nectar bottles, Nrass Relativity, etc.)

MasterController and Awesomemod are forbidden. MasterController can be used when granting your sim the job and the money, but is otherwise forbidden.

Each sim must take a writing and logic class to establish his/her basic knowledge.

You can use this mod for some of your classes! http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=480804

Sims can only participate in this challenge if they received a C or higher grade in high school. Exception: Sims who go to boarding school and graduate are assumed to have a C or higher, so can participate in this challenge. Premade sims can also partake in this challenge if they were CAS'd as adults.

Any age above teen can take part in this challenge.

Money cheats are allowed to an extent. The most you can add with cheats is twenty thousand. That keeps things a little bit more realistic.

Students can hold jobs, but part time is recommended, due to the grueling nature of this challenge.

Additional Info

This is my first challenge, and I know I didn't catch all the vague parts and the errors, but I will accept all the help I get! Post and/or PM me, and I will amend this post/ this challenge.

Post pictures if you want! I want to see how everyone does this!

You would most likely move several unrelated young adults into an apartment/dorm setting where each sim has his/her own room.

Feel free to do this as you wish. This is a more or less free form challenge, and mostly an idea. I only posted what worked best for me.

joot27
14th Dec 2011, 06:24 AM
Just beat it :) I got 80 points :D I loved it so much, no sleep for a night :P. I enjoyed doing it, I support this.

van Dorn
17th Dec 2011, 08:09 PM
That's pretty awesome, because i only got to 56 points!

Sirah81
22nd Dec 2011, 09:17 PM
Is this challenge for any and all sims in our normal families or would I create a special "Class of 2011", with how-many-sims-exactly? and a dorm? The only bit of information outside the points was that one sim has 14 simdays. This is cool-looking challenge and I want to be sure I'm playing this right.

van Dorn
23rd Dec 2011, 05:47 AM
Sorry, let me amend the post. You would most likely move several unrelated young adults into an apartment/dorm setting where each sim has his/her own room. But of course, feel free to do it as you wish. This is a more or less free form challenge, and mostly an idea. I only posted what worked best for me.

ChappyTamTam
24th Dec 2011, 03:33 PM
This sounds cool! Especially since we have no college/university in TS3. Uni was one of my favvies. I'll be glad to try it after I get my simming computer back.

CasiLG
26th Dec 2011, 12:54 PM
Looks like fun! It sounds like children/teenagers cannot go to boarding school. Am I correct?

van Dorn
26th Dec 2011, 05:36 PM
Why? This challenge is not for children, toddlers, or teens. I suppose you could play using teens, but it would be difficult, and in that case, you would not use boarding schools. However! If you played an adult with two children/teens, you could very well send your children to boarding school and do the challenge without that extra stress.

CasiLG
27th Dec 2011, 02:01 PM
It says that Sims can only participate in this challenge if they received a C or higher grade in high school so I just assumed that to set up you raised the sim from childhood and continued into the higher education part if they got a C or higher in school.

van Dorn
27th Dec 2011, 08:22 PM
Hmmm... lemme update the post.

EDIT: UPDATE COMPLETE. Check the Base rules, where it talks about the C in school.

Again, thank you everybody for helping iron out the kinks. Please continue to do so and enjoy the challenge.

Majuchan
9th Feb 2012, 08:15 AM
I'll be doin' thhis now... I made my sim travel to other world. I used twallan's traveler, just like sims2 uni... Thanks for the idea! :3


EDIT:
My sim is an Arts Major. Here are some Screenie of my first 6 days of the challenge:

this is the third day, breakfast. She is wearing a "uniform" she is at the base camp

http://i43.tinypic.com/33crgxl.jpg

Next day on painting class

http://i43.tinypic.com/35jwggk.jpg

Another day, Another b'fast

http://i40.tinypic.com/bil0k3.jpg

After her photog class she went to her painting class, (can't take a picture of her taking photos. xD)

http://i40.tinypic.com/2wohgs7.jpg

robotdinosaur
10th Feb 2012, 03:31 PM
Possibly can their be a "business" major where the sims study charisma?

van Dorn
20th Feb 2012, 12:06 AM
I love those photos! And a business major sounds great! Feel free to use a business major! But how would the additional points be earned (such as potions in Chemistry)?

vhanster
20th Feb 2012, 02:29 AM
So are the Sims allowed to work during their 'college' period? And may they take classes from the rabbit holes, or must they only learn from books and practice?

Zerhai
27th Feb 2012, 11:04 PM
I have a question, what if you don't have world adventure, pets, and generations.......
I only have late night and ambitions.....
also what about people who only have base game.... just a few thoughts

Majuchan
8th Mar 2012, 11:06 AM
Sweet. my sim just graduated with honors.... with score of 33

sroro
11th Mar 2012, 05:52 AM
Fun challenge, I had a biology majoring sim get 51 points and an arts sim 73. A grad school spin on this challenge would be interesting (No sleep for x amount of days and chain drinking coffee).

van Dorn
11th Mar 2012, 06:07 AM
So are the Sims allowed to work during their 'college' period? And may they take classes from the rabbit holes, or must they only learn from books and practice?

Classes are encouraged as well as work. But keep in mind that jobs may cut down on your study time and there is a suggested time limit of 2 sim weeks.

I have a question, what if you don't have world adventure, pets, and generations.......I only have late night and ambitions..... also what about people who only have base game.... just a few thoughts

Well, anybody lacking EPs can just do the majors that don't depend on an EP skill. That is why there are alternative skills for most/ all the majors.

Dawnmoon13
17th Mar 2012, 06:23 PM
This is so epic. I might apply the challenge to my snobby horse-crazy family. Can't wait))))) Thank you.

van Dorn
5th Apr 2012, 04:02 PM
Updated for Showtime. And massively overhauled for the base game/ to give sims an opportunity to earn partial credit.

mandapannts
12th Apr 2012, 05:39 AM
I've been LOVING this challenge.
EDIT: just finished 14 sim days as a Music major and got 80 points! LOVED this challenge. I made a young girl and a toddler. I even managed to potty train and teach the toddler to walk/talk while in school! It was very challenging but the nice thing about the guitar is it relieves stress. I liked this so much, I might try every major there is! :gjob:

what about a geology major? points could be earned for each "cut" you unlock, and for every $1000 you earn from selling cut gems and smelted rocks?
the only problem is there isn't really a job for a rock collector. but hey, that would make it very realistic! none of my geo major friends have geology-related jobs anyway. :lol:

ViviSims2
5th May 2012, 11:47 AM
(No sleep for x amount of days and chain drinking coffee).

In my rainbowcy, my Yellow heiress, Summer, decided not to sleep but to drink coffee when she was tired.
*paint*
*stop from tiredness*
*drink coffee*
*paint*
*get buzz crashed moodlet*
*drink coffee*
*paint* etc.

misslaheela
6th May 2012, 03:05 AM
I love those photos! And a business major sounds great! Feel free to use a business major! But how would the additional points be earned (such as potions in Chemistry)?

Could be how many friends you make (since it's dealing with Charisma), or how many best friends. Could even be how many parties you throw.

I want to do this challenge while playing a regular game, so I have a question. Should my Sims avoid learning any skills while growing up through childhood and teenage-hood? That way they can pass with a lot of points once they get to "college"? I noticed since you said they had to be at least a C in high school, so I'm assuming this challenge can very much be done with a regular Sims game.

Elanorea
9th May 2012, 04:32 PM
I'll try it, even if it doesn't really count because I refuse to play without AwesomeMod.

van Dorn
13th May 2012, 10:29 PM
misslaheela, I don't really understand what you mean. Why do they have to avoid skills?

misslaheela
13th May 2012, 11:48 PM
To make it more of a challenge when they "go to college." It would be much easier for an Art Major who already has 6 points in painting to graduate with honors when going to school. But if that doesn't matter, then that's okay too. I was just wondering.

Granger-Girl
20th May 2012, 02:55 PM
This seems like a great challenge! I tried to do this type of thing a while ago, but I just adapted the Sims 2 rules, and didn't do it very well.
However, I do have one query, related to the points added for not having expansion packs. This makes it harder if you do have expansion packs, as you must learn twice the skills plus all the recipes for Cooking added, while the base game gets these points without any additional effort.

Claytonqhammonds
1st Jun 2012, 07:29 AM
I loved this Challenged, and im extremly happy with my outcome. I moved 4 male sims and 3 female sims onto a lot and created a Dorm setting, truly enjoyed watching them strive for thier majors. Sunset Vally was truly happy to welcome its class of 2012. :) thanks for this awesome Challenge. One sim out of the seven Graduated with 75 points.

van Dorn
3rd Jun 2012, 01:33 AM
Aha! Only points earned during college count. So, if you have your art major earn her 6 points during high school, then only 4 can go towards painting and receiving the college diploma.

Granger girl, I am really sorry, but I can't see any way to even the playing field other than what has already been done or suggested. Please come up with ideas!

I love reading all of your comments!

van Dorn
29th Jul 2012, 04:12 AM
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=480804

Updated to specify use of this mod!

mrjuliananess
2nd Sep 2012, 02:28 AM
Sounds awesome! Gosh, I wish McFatty's was a real place XD. Maybe there should be arcatecture too? Would be a combo of Sculpting and inventing.

Supersoph13
4th Oct 2012, 09:35 PM
I can't wait to try this! University was one of my favourite Sims 2 expansions and this is going to be the closest I get to having it in Sims 3! I don't often do many challenges - I get bored rather quickly - but I can't see myself getting bored very quickly with this...there's just so many majors to do! :)

Thank you for sharing this.

WildcatCait
19th Oct 2012, 08:13 AM
I am so excited to try this! If it wasn't 3 in the morning, I'd do it now! Haha. I loved Sims 2 University! I need a good challenge where I don't have to focus on family. I'll definitely update again with my points!

van Dorn
21st Jan 2013, 08:06 PM
I'm using this as a community/junior college now to prepare my sims for University! Anyone else doing the same?

tigger89
21st Jan 2013, 08:19 PM
So I don't think I'm going to play this, but I was just curious as to why awesomemod was forbidden. There's lots of cheaty options in there, sure, but there's almost always the option to turn them off. I can't think of any aspects of that mod that would effect this challenge that can't be turned off(most of them are off or tuned to a normal scale by default iirc).