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The Sims 4 Discover University: Guide to Academic Success
Presented by EA Game Changers
Getting into university is one thing; excelling in university is quite another. For most people, the joys of university lie in balancing work with pleasure. A little studying here, a little partying there, leading to an overall well-rounded university experience.
This guide is not for the casual university student. This guide will walk you through how to throw yourself completely into your education in order to achieve the best grades (and the best future) possible. Throw away your juice kegs and break out those textbooks because school is all you’re going to know for the next three terms.
For a breakdown on scholarships and applying to university, see our guide, Discover University: Applying to University !
Class Selections
Of course, it all starts with enrolling and selecting your degree and classes. No matter which degree you pursue, you’ll have to select up to 4 classes per term. Classes change every term so you’ll see new ones available every time you select your classes at the start of term. You can’t change which classes you’ll be taking for your degree; you can only choose the number of classes.
However, Sims have the option of enrolling in 1 elective each term. Electives are fun classes that focus on skills outside of your degree and you will be able to select which elective your Sim will take that term. There are all kinds of electives that span a wide variety of skills. Electives are fully integrated across all packs, so depending on which add-on content you have installed, you may see different electives for skills from different packs.
Electives are optional; your Sim doesn’t need to take any electives at all, but if they do choose to take an elective, they can only take up to 3 other classes. Sims are limited to 4 classes per term in total, so either 4 classes, or 3 classes and 1 elective.
Our recommendation? Take 3 classes and 1 elective every term for maximum academic success. Electives still count as credits towards your degree so taking an elective doesn’t hurt your progress at all, plus your Sim will graduate with a few extra skills thanks to the electives they took.
One term last 5 working days. There is no way to shorten or lengthen a term. They are fixed periods. Sims can begin a new term anytime during the week, but weekends don’t count as term days. If your Sim starts a new term on a Friday, the term won’t end until Thursday the following week. Starting a new term in the middle of the week can be a good academic strategy for dedicated students because it will give them the weekend to catch up on homework and final assignments.
How many terms your Sim needs to complete in order to graduate is entirely dependent on how many classes they decide to take per term. A Sim needs to earn 12 credits in order to graduate.
Here is the breakdown of how many terms your Sim will need to complete based upon their classes:
- 4 classes per term = 3 terms (15 working days)
- 3 classes per term = 4 terms (20 working days)
- 2 classes per term = 6 terms (30 working days)
- 1 class per term = 12 terms (60 working days)
These calculations are based on the assumption that your Sim completes the same number of classes every term. It is possible to take a different number of classes each term (4 classes one term, 2 the next term, for example), in which case the number of terms needed to graduate will vary.
Even if a Sim only takes 3 terms to graduate, they will still spend the majority of their young adult life in university; however, unlike past Sims games, your Sims are not trapped on campus with no way to work or live a life outside of university. Sims can live wherever they want, have a job, and raise a family while going to school, so this balances things out. If the length of university is not ideal for your play style, we recommend turning aging off in the game options while your Sim is in university. That way, they don’t lose any time to climb a career ladder or pursue other life goals.
Of course, you will want to be taking 4 classes every term for maximum efficiency. Sims who don’t mind sacrificing their social life and plan to devote all their time to their studies should take a full course load every term.
Attending Classes
It’s important to actually attend class in order to get the most out of your university education. Missing class will hurt your grades. Sims in the area will autonomously try to get to class a little early. Sims who’ve arrived to class early will wait outside the building with the other early bird students. This can be a good time to get some last minute homework finished or to quickly finish the rest of that coffee and snack you purchased to-go at the cafe vendor.
While your Sim is inside the classroom rabbithole, they will have various options available to them by clicking on their portrait, much like the different work options for inactive careers. Click the class icon on the Sim’s portrait to see the various actions they can take in class. Sims can Actively Listen, Take Notes, Sleep in Class, or Chat with Friends. To get the most out of every class, make sure your Sim is taking notes or actively listening. I’m sure we don’t need to tell you that sleeping in class and chatting with friends are not good ways to improve your grades.
If you’re taking a full course load, it’s likely that your Sim will have more than one class in a day, or even back to back classes. Make sure to check the career panel often to keep track of your class schedule so you can budget your time for homework, finals, and self-care effectively.
Ideally, you will want your Sim to attend every single class with all of their homework completed and taking an active role in the class while they are there. This will ensure your Sim gets the most out of their classes and, in turn, gets the best grades at the end of term.
Every course your Sim takes has homework due before every class. When your Sim enrolls in university, they are automatically given a homework notebook in their personal inventory. Sims can complete homework for all their classes using this notebook. Homework takes some time to complete, but Sims with high enough Research & Debate skill complete homework faster.
Sims who stay on top of their homework and pay attention in class will get more out of attending classes and it will have a positive impact on their final grade. Always complete homework before every class and actively pay attention in class for maximum academic success.
In addition to homework that must be completed on a regular basis throughout the term, each class also has a final. Finals are very important and worth a large chunk of your grade. Skipping out on your finals will have a big negative impact on your final grade, so make sure you complete all of them.
Each class will have different requirements for its final. Some classes will require your Sim to write a term paper. Others have final exams and presentations. Look at your class schedule in the career panel to see what’s required of each class.
Exams take place during the last class of the term. If your Sim has done all their homework and attended all their classes, they’re likely to do well on their exam, but Sims can also study for a class using a course book purchased from the university kiosk, a computer, or research station to boost their chances of doing well on their exam.
Don’t miss your final exam! Failing to write the exam results in a big fat zero and will seriously hurt your final grade!
PSST! You can also cheat on your exam by selecting the option on your Sim’s portrait while they’re in the exam… but you would never do that… would you? Getting caught has serious consequences.
Term Papers
Term papers can be written on the computer under the University menu option. A Sim can write and submit a term paper for a class at any point during the term, so dedicated Sims might want to get these out of the way early.
Term papers take a long time to complete, but Sims with high enough Research & Debate skill complete term papers faster. The first draft of a term paper is usually poor quality. Your Sim can submit poor quality term papers, but f they want the best grade, they should spend some time editing their paper before they submit it.
Term papers can be edited until they are outstanding quality. You’ll receive a notification telling you that your term paper won’t benefit from any further editing once your Sim has increased its quality to outstanding. Scrolling over the term paper option in the computer’s menu will tell you the quality of the term paper.
When your Sim is satisfied with the quality of their paper, they can submit it using the computer.
PSST! You can also plagiarize your term papers by selecting the plagiarize option on the computer… but you would never do that… would you? Getting caught has serious consequences.
Presentations
Your Sim will receive a presentation board in their personal inventory at the start of term for any classes that have a presentation requirement as their final. Presentations function similar to term papers; your Sim will need to compile all of their material on the board, then refine the presentation board until it’s suitable to present in class.
To start, drag the presentation board out of your Sim’s inventory and into the world somewhere, then choose the Capture Information option on the board. Your Sim will spend some time compiling all their material for their presentation onto the board. When they’ve finished, they will have a poor quality presentation board. You can see the board’s quality by hovering over it.
Sims can improve the quality of their presentation by refining and organizing it, and asking other Sims for feedback on their presentation. They can also practice their presentation. Practicing presentations builds the Charisma skill. Once the board cannot be improved any further, you will receive a notification informing you that your Sim’s presentation board looks great and that continuing to fiddle with it won’t improve it any more.
When your Sim is satisfied with the quality of their presentation, they can go to class with the presentation board in their inventory and present it. Presentations do not take place during regular classes; your Sim must click on the class rabbithole and select the presentation option. Presentations can only be given during the day. Your Sim won’t be able to present in the middle of the night.
Final Grades & Starting a New Term
If your Sim has done all their homework, attended every class as an active participant, and completed all their finals with outstanding quality, they should have no trouble getting an A+ grade in every class. However, perfect grades don’t come easy. You’ll find that your Sim has little to no time for extracurricular activities, organizations, or socialising when they are taking 4 classes and trying to achieve an A+ grade in every single one of them. University is definitely a rewarding challenge in The Sims 4 , just like in the real world.
Since grades aren’t given out until the end of term, it’s up to your Sim to take a proactive approach to finding out how they’re doing in their classes. They can visit their professors during their office hours or email them on the computer to get an idea of how they’re performing in their classes and how they can improve.
Once all coursework has been submitted, your Sim will be free to enjoy themselves (for once) while their final grades are being processed. Once the final grades are in, you’ll receive a popup with all your final grades for each class, as well as your overall GPA.
From there, you can choose to enroll in another term right away, or take some time off before starting a new term. If your Sim has any scholarships, they must enroll in a new term immediately or they will lose their scholarships. Tuition costs for the new term will be handled at this point as well. Sims can pay with household funds or take out a loan to pay any tuition costs for the new term that scholarships don’t cover.
Your Sim will also be given the opportunity to make different housing arrangements at the start of each new term. They can choose to stay wherever they are currently living, or move somewhere else. This change does not happen right away. Your Sim will have about a day left in their old residence, which gives them an opportunity to pack up any personal items they may have purchased for their living space. A small “Packing Up” event will occur a couple hours before the move to remind your Sim to gather up their things, too.
As long as your Sim continues on the path to success they started in their first term, all their future terms are bound to result in perfect A+ grades across the board. Keep doing that homework, working on those finals, and paying attention in class!
Have any tips of your own for academic success? Share them with us in the comments or come chat with us on social media!
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The Sims 4 Wiki Guide
How to complete coursework.
In The Sims 4: Discover University , your Sim will need to pass their classes in order to graduate with their chosen Degree, which includes completing Coursework like written papers and taking exams.
This guide teaches you everything you need to know about How to Complete Coursework in TS4, including writing and submitting papers, taking exams, and creating a presentation.
Click on any of the links below to automatically scroll to that section of this guide:
What is Coursework in The Sims 4?
How to write a term paper, how to take final exam, how to give a presentation.
In the Discover University Expansion Pack, student Sims who have enrolled in a degree will have to attend classes to pass the semester (which lasts a week). Showing up isn't enough, though—it also includes Coursework.
Because university life is so hectic, you will need to make sure your Sim balances work and study because if they're too busy with a job to go to class and complete their Coursework, they won't be able to graduate.
To learn more about Degrees, including types and what careers your Sim can go into after graduating, check out our Degrees guide .
There are three types of Coursework:
- Written Term Paper
- Presentation
You can view each class your Sim is signed up for and what Coursework they'll need to complete that semester by clicking on the Career tab on your hotbar (or simply press J).
To write a Term Paper, your Sim will need access to a PC. Click on the PC, then "University" > "University Coursework" > "Term Paper." Here, you'll see two options: "Write Term Paper" and "Submit Plagiarized Term Paper."
If you want your Sim to get a good grade, don't cheat as it's impossible to get an A with a fake paper. Instead, choose for them to write it themselves.
After a few hours, your Sim will have produced their first draft. You can choose to hand this in but for a better grade, go back to the PC and click on "Edit Term Paper". Do this multiple times until you get a notification popup that says it is the best it can be. Now you can "Submit Term Paper" from the computer.
In Discover University , doing the Final Exam is easy: your Sim just goes to class on one of the final days of the semester and takes it automatically. But this doesn't mean there isn't work to do, though. If you want your Sim to get a high grade, they need to study.
Click on a PC, then "University" > "University Coursework" > "Study" and then choose the class the Final Exam is for. For a good grade, it's ideal that they study at least twice—the more, the better. They may also need to study for more than one class if multiple have a Final Exam as Coursework so make sure they have enough time to fit it all in!
It is also a good idea to raise the Skill that the class is tied to; again, the higher the better. You can check this in the Career tab in your hotbar.
This is the most confusing piece of Coursework your Sim is given as the game does not mention what you need to do, leaving you to figure it out for yourself. Upon starting the semester, a Presentation Board will be put in your Sim's inventory which you must place in the world.
Have your Sim interact with the board and "Compile Information." They will spend an hour or two throwing ideas onto the board. You can submit it like this, but if you want a higher grade, you will need to "Refine and Organize" until a popup appears notifying you it's the best it can be.
If you "Practice Presenting," your Sim's Charisma Skill will increase—something that you should ideally make them do a couple of times as it can help with the grade. Once this is done, your Sim will now be ready to hand their Presentation in.
Presentations can only be handed in during school hours: from Monday to Friday between 8AM and 4PM. Your Sim will be in class for a couple of hours while they present.
Homework is separate from Coursework but is just as important. It is a daily task, meaning you'll have to do it for each of your Sim's classes every day. It takes a couple of hours to complete it for each class.
To do Homework, go to your Sim's inventory and you'll see a black and white class book. You can either click it from the inventory itself or place it in the world and then click it, but when you do, homework options for each of your Sim's classes will pop up.
Your Sim will go and sit down somewhere to finish their homework, and their progress can be tracked in the Action Queue on the bottom left. The more homework your Sim does, the better their grade will be for that class at the end of the semester.
Now that you know all about How to Complete Coursework in The Sims 4, head on over to our Organizations page to learn all about the student societies your Sim can join.
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In this wiki guide.
How to Write a Term Paper in The Sims 4 Discover University
Don't forget about your homework.
You’ll encounter several coursework tasks as you complete your degree in The Sims 4: Discover University. Some classes will ask you to complete final exams, give presentations or write papers to show your academic prowess. If you’re interested in learning more, continue reading to discover how to write a term paper in The Sims 4: Discover University.
To begin writing your term paper, you’ll have to find a computer. If you live at home, make sure you have access to a computer or a local library. Similarly, if you’re living on campus, you can use the computer in your dorm room or head to a library.
Once your character is on the computer, go into University > University Coursework > Term Paper. From here, you can begin working on the assignment! After completing it, you can either submit it as a low-quality paper or edit it.
Related: How to Drop Out of University in The Sims 4 Discover University
The quality of your paper will help determine your final grade. You won’t get a high grade if you submit a poor-quality term paper. However, editing it until it is of outstanding quality will significantly improve your chances of getting an A grade or higher. Whether or not you spend an extra hour or two to edit the paper is entirely up to you.
Not all of your courses will require a term paper as their primary objective. Instead, you may have to take an exam or give a presentation to boost your grades. With this in mind, don’t be surprised if you only have to write one or two papers during the entire semester!
The Sims 4 is available on PC, Mac, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 through the official website . If you’d like to learn more about the game, check out How to Make Sims Lose Weight and How to have more than 8 Sims in a household in The Sims 4 .
Madison Benson
Madison is a writer who has played video games for over twenty years. If she isn't playing games on her PC, she's likely hanging out with her dogs and rabbits.
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Grades in University
damncookies wrote: » You should improve your skill too, Like if you are learning culinary be sure to cook, a lot . When I didn't do that my sim was like kept getting D, now she is an A+ student! Good Luck!
EnkiSchmidt wrote: » For mod users this one shows your sims' exact course performance: http://modthesims.info/d/637945/quickly-check-course-performance.html The mod is incredibly helpful, but also left me confused, because skills didn't seem to have an impact at all during my testing. So, exactly the opposite of what my experience so far was. Details under the spoiler: - Turned out I was wrong about skills weighing in more than study effort, after all. In fact, during the first semester the skills didn’t seem to have an impact AT ALL. (I still have a hard time believing this, despite seeing the numbers) Here are a few observations: - Grades seem to follow real life scales, meaning at least 50% are required for a D (Numbers from my game: 61,9 = D-, 64,2 = D, 72,1 = C-). That comes with downside of sims lingering in the F range for a long time and then shooting through the rest within a single lecture. As a result the grades are skewed towards the low or the high end, either Fs or A+s. This lines up with my experiences from playing blind. - Sims can never lose study progress from not attending lectures, only gain it. That explains why missing the finals didn’t have an effect that one sims of mine who missed several lectures as well as the finals but finished with all A+s. - I haven’t tested cheating yet. Getting caught at cheating SHOULD bring down the grade. Studying from home, anybody? It’s possible: - Homework is factored into course performance even if the sim does not attend the lecture. - Term papers and presentations already add a small amount of course performance (2 pts. per quality stage) while being worked on, even if the paper never gets turned in. - A single hour of study adds about 5 points to the performance. - For presentations/term papers the quality levels add ~16/24/32 points regardless of skill. Variations from mood or traits may apply, but not from skills. - Attending lecture base performance gain: ~16 pts. - Homework done before lecture: + ~14 pts. - Taking notes during lecture: + ~8 pts. - Not attending lecture at all: +0 pts. - In general performance during lectures can vary. I believe there is a random factor involved besides modifiers for mood and traits. The variance is greater for sims taking notes than for sims attending lectures normally, but not significant (+/- 5 points for taking notes compared +/- 1 point for attending normally). - Not grades related, but perhaps of note: Sims in the same household with exactly the same major and classes have different schedules. That made my test semester a nightmare when two sims had their C2 class 8:00-9:25, but the other two had the exact same class 11:00-12:45. - Those numbers apply to first semester students, all copies of the same sim. - I didn’t finish a semester with my test group so far. Might be that skill rank gets factored in at the very end, after all. Maybe this is helpful to some of you. Add or correct as needed, please!
Sindocat wrote: » Emotions matter only in regard to skill gain from class time. But it certainly can't hurt. The last Art History course I took in game, for instance, was "Sculpture as Expression", which improved Charisma. I made sure my Sim went to class in a Confident mood to make the most of that.
Sindocat wrote: » "Take Notes" is the most productive mode for class, better than "Actively Listen".
zensluv wrote: » Has anyone ever figured out the grading system, for real? I have a Sim in univeristy and took his last 4 classes to graduate... and he failed two of them. Despite going to every class, doing all the homework, and the finals/paper/presentation. Apparently there is a Skill requirement for classes... does anyone actually know how Skill-building is calculated in? Has anyone figured it out or are we all still guessing? I'm so 🎃🎃🎃🎃 I spent all his Sim hours doing coursework and he still failed! I mean what the F? (pun intended)
Reallysoawkward23 wrote: » I’m super confused how grades are calculated in University. I have a sim who did all of his homework, turned in outstanding term papers, always attended class, and studied and yet he got an F and a C+?! Maybe I’m wrong here but I feel we don’t have enough control over what grades Sims recieve.
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The first draft of a term paper is usually poor quality. Your Sim can submit poor quality term papers, but f they want the best grade, they should spend some time editing their paper before they submit it. Term papers can be edited until they are outstanding quality.
To write a Term Paper, your Sim will need access to a PC. Click on the PC, then "University" > "University Coursework" > "Term Paper." Here, you'll see two options: "Write Term Paper"...
Once your character is on the computer, go into University > University Coursework > Term Paper. From here, you can begin working on the assignment! After completing it, you can either submit it as a low-quality paper or edit it. Related: How to Drop Out of University in The Sims 4 Discover University
Maybe I’ll give that a try. I don’t really want to use notes and a stopwatch to play a video game. The in-game progress visuals give a good enough estimate; hopefully they’ll add one for term paper. In game it gives: 3 hours to write, and roughly 2 and a half hours to edit.
- Term papers and presentations already add a small amount of course performance (2 pts. per quality stage) while being worked on, even if the paper never gets turned in. - A single hour of study adds about 5 points to the performance. - For presentations/term papers the quality levels add ~16/24/32 points regardless of skill.