Hi Simmers!

Thanks again for joining us on January 8 for The Sims Live Broadcast, where we officially announced The Sims 3 University Life!  We’re thrilled to see all your eager comments and excitement on the forums and we know you have lots of questions for this upcoming EP. Last week, I tackled SimGuruArgus to get him to answer as many of your questions posted in our thread as possible. He thought you all had some really great questions and he’s posted the responses below.
I hope you enjoy this Q&A!

Q: Can the college Sims get married & pregnant in college life?
A: No marriage and no pregnancy. It’s kept pretty casual while Sims are at university.

Q: How will joining a sorority or fraternity work? Will Sims have to go through a rush period? Also can we customise how long each semester is?
A: Joining a sorority or fraternity is as easy as selecting it when you first move into the university world. There is no rush period, since we wanted these to feel more inclusive than exclusive. There are some pretty great dares you can explore as well. Each time you attend university, you can customise the duration of your term to one or two weeks.

Q: Whilst in the University world, can we visit home? That and can Pets, Paparazzi and Aliens visit this sub-world, like Sunset Valley, or not, like with WA destinations?
A: Since the terms aren’t too long, there is no way to visit back home. If you get really homesick, you can drop out, but doing so will sacrifice anything you have spent in paying for that term. Pets will not show up in university. However, those pesky Paparazzi and abducting Aliens may pay you a visit while you’re attending.

Q: Will there be an option to add college buildings to your home world, so your working Sims can take night classes or so Sims can attend college classes while still living at home?
A: You can definitely add college buildings to your home world through edit town, and they will function similarly to Base Game rabbit holes, with a few new interactions, but no college classes. While Sims can prepare for university outside of school by building skills and taking the aptitude test, actual credits will not be committed until you finish a term at university.

Q: If you meet a Sim at college, can you bring them back to your home world with you when college is over?
A: You can’t immediately bring them back with your Sim when they go home from university, since they have to unpack, but you can call them and have them visit your home world once your Sim has returned.

Q: What if your Sim graduates before their friends do? Will there be an option to stay in touch and invite them for a visit, like you can do with foreign friends in WA, and then invite them to move in that way?
A: If your Sim is a whiz in academics and ends up graduating before their friends, they can always keep in touch by calling their university friends. There is in fact an option to stay in touch with friends post-university, and it works much like foreign friends in The Sims 3 World Adventures.

Q: Can you send your Sim's friends and neighbours to college, even when you are not playing as them?
A: The only Sims you are able to send off to university are Sims that are part of your active household.

Q: What is the shortest amount of time a Sim can stay at the university? Can you customise how long Sims can attend college?
A: The shortest amount of time a Sim can stay at university is one Sim week and the longest amount of time is two Sim weeks. You are able to customise your stay by selecting one or two terms (one term = one Sim week, two terms = two Sims weeks).

Q: Can Sims get multiple degrees? Like, go and graduate, come home and then go again?
A: Sims can most definitely earn multiple degrees. All of you completionists out there can go nuts!

Q: If I send a married Sim, can she invite her spouse to visit her and also can he invite her to visit?
A: No, your Sim’s spouse will not be able to visit your Sim while they are at university, but you can always spend a little time in-between terms catching up with loved ones or you may speak to them on your smart phone while away at university.

Q: Are there Secret Societies in the University EP?
A: There are no secret societies in university, but you can apprentice under the almighty mascot.

Q: Can you get kicked out if you misbehave or don't keep up your grades?
A: Your Sim can get kicked out of class for cheating, but your Sim will never be suspended or expelled from university.

Q: I'm wondering if Sims will get additional wish slots when they graduate, like they did in The Sims 2 University? Will there be new lifetime wishes or rewards?
A: We do have new lifetime wishes and rewards in The Sims 3 University Life, but we did things a little bit differently than in The Sims 2 University. Instead of getting an additional wish slot for graduating, Sims are granted an additional trait slot, as well as other benefits.

Q: Are there spring breaks?
A: Technically, there can be a spring break, but this all depends if you have The Sims 3 Seasons installed and when your term ends.

Q: Will body piercings be reintroduced? 
A: Body piercings do not appear in The Sims 3 University Life.

Q: Will Sims have jobs/part time jobs while attending class?
A: While Sims are at university, we definitely make room for them to focus on their Academics. If they had a job in their home world, it will be put on hold while they attend university. There are multiple ways to earn money while at university. The job board is a good place for Sims to start looking for ways to earn extra cash, but it is by no means the only way to make money. You’ll have options!

Q: Are there any scholarships teens can apply for?
A: Sims that take the Aptitude Test will have their scores based on their previous accomplishments. This means that certain types of skills, traits, or high school grades that they had as a teen will come into play when calculating their overall score. This allows them to earn financial aid or even gain credits towards their degrees. Also, it is important to note that progress in certain careers also benefit Sims when they attend university.

Q: Are there new recipes? Will there be new recipes for the microwave?
A: There are new ready-to-eat recipes that can be found on the microwave and refrigerator, as well as some tasty treats that you can purchase from the new barista bar.

Q: Will there be different kinds of university campuses? 
A: There is only one university campus. This campus, however, can be modified using edit town, either from your home world or when you arrive in the university world. It really is the cream of the crop, though, and the one university that all Sims aspire to attend.

Q: What are the new social interactions with the 3 social groups?
A: I don’t want to spoil too much here, but we have quite a few new socials that unlock as you progress through the social groups. This ranges from things like taking a self-portrait with your smart phone to showing off a new gizmo.

Q: Can we switch gameplay from university to town?
A: Attending university works like a travel world. Once enrolled, it is best to stay until the end of the term, but you are able to drop out and head back home during the middle of the term. Doing so will cause your Sim to lose any progress and money spent towards earning their degree that term. Once you finish the term or drop out, you will be returned to your home world.

Q: Can Sims get academic probation if they don’t do well in class?
A: No, the only real punishment for not doing well at university is when you are cheating. Other than that, university is very forgiving on performance. Nobody wants to be kicked out, especially if they’re spending their hard earned Simoleons on it. Another important note is that if you get a D or an F, you will either get reduced credits or no credits for that term.

We hope this Q&A can tide you over until The Sims 3 University Life launches on in the UK 5th March! Thanks for reading!

SimGuruHydra

Hey Simmers, check out the latest blog from Assistant Producer Lauren McLemore. Read on to find on about The Sims 3 University...

Love it, hate it, want one, avoid one, but everyone’s got one — a social life that is. While making the grade is important, The Sims 3 University Life experience is about more than just what you learn in the classroom! It’s about the life your Sim leads outside it. Your Sim can pursue any social life they dream of – from the most popular Sim on campus or the nerdy bookworm that lives in the library. No matter if your Sim is a little socially awkward or completely irresistible they can have a fun and memorable university experience!



Introduced in The Sims 3 University Life are three new social groups: the Jocks, Rebels and Nerds. Your Sim can gain influence with as many of these groups they desire – they are not limited to befriending just one! As your Sim progresses up the social ladder within each group, they will unlock rewards that will make all the effort on their part worth it.

But what are the social groups like? Let me tell you…

Jocks are the Sims who play to win, whether it’s a popularity contest or a match on the Plink Plonk Tennis Table. It’s no wonder that Jocks tend to hang out at B’s Bowlarama where they can work on getting strikes and not striking out with the cute Sim eying their sweet bowling moves. Probably not a surprise either that Jocks throw some of the best parties on campus.

Rebels enjoy going above and beyond the expected and then taking it one step further. Rebels are the Sims who will tag a wall on campus and then add herbs to the bonfire at a local party. You can find Rebels hanging out at The Grotto; a cool place where a Sim can enjoy a game of pool, work on their artistic skills, or savor an organic brew from the Barista Bar.

And last, but definitely not least, are the Nerds. Nerds love to play video games, perform research, win trivia challenges, and aren’t afraid to berate other Sims for their ignorance. Keith’s Komics is the ideal hangout for a Nerd as it has all the lots of hobbies for Nerds to enjoy including, computers, arcade machines and comics, of course!



Keeping up with all the social influence your Sim gains is simple! With a few clicks on their new smart phone they’ll be completely in the know. Just hit ‘Check Social Groups’ to see their current status. But that isn’t the only cool thing the smart phone can do. Maybe your Sim is feeling bold and flirty, then sending a secret admirer text might just catch that special someone’s attention. Alternately, if another Sim has treated you poorly and you want to give them a piece of your mind then go ahead and send them an insulting text. Also if you Sim is looking to cut loose and be single, they can send a break up text to their romantic interest. Additionally, if your Sim is more visual then they might appreciate the new ways to take photos. Now your Sim can take self-portrait snapshots with another Sim, and can even sneak in a romantic kissy photo. These are just a few examples of what your new smart phone can do!

Even outside of the social groups there are a huge variety of social activities and interactions your Sim can partake in. For example, what would university be without parties!? To spice things up, we’ve added two new party types in the mix: Juice Keggers and Bonfires. Parties are a great time to meet new Sims, and if there is a Sim you want to get a little closer to, then go ahead and give them a Heat of the Moment Kiss. There are plenty of other new kiss interactions as well, such as Juiced Kiss and Cinnamon Kiss. These only scratch the surface of the new romantic options that are available in The Sims 3 University Life.



If your Sim isn’t into partying, then there are still plenty of other activities to do. From playing a collegiate sport to posing nude for figure class to becoming a medical test subject and holding a protest, your Sims will find an all-new world to explore! There are also great new social things to do that will contribute to building skills as well. With the new sketchbook object you can ask another Sim to pose for you (even pose nude)! Plus, there is much, much more! But we’ll leave the rest up to you to explore for yourself!

In The Sims 3 University Life, each Sim can build a unique social life that suits their needs. Just don’t get blinded by the awesomeness of your Sim’s social life and forget to send them to class. It’s true that a dream job can be landed based purely on social activities but receiving good grades has its equal advantages!

Lauren McLemore, The Sims 3 University Life Assistant Producer

The Sims 3 University is more than just having your Sims making the grade - it's also about your Sims' lives outside of the classroom. Check out SimGuruLauren's blog where she talks about social groups, social interactions, and more!

Keep up to date with the latest The Sims news on our UK Facebook page

Hi Everyone, check out the first blog on the new expansion pack, The Sims 3 University Life!

SimGuruKarsky here! The Sims Studio is thrilled to announce today that The Sims 3 University Life is in development and will launch on March 5^th of this year. I want to take this time to tell you a little bit about some of the cool new features that will be available in this expansion. Please note that this is the first blog of many. In the coming weeks, we’ll be deep diving on many of the features highlighted below, as well as revealing some all new ones. For now, here’s an overview of what’s to come in The Sims 3 University Life.

Now, I don’t know about you,but university was a pretty awesome time in my life—if you haven’t gone yet, I bet it will be for you too! I certainly gained a great deal of knowledge from studying about things related to my major, but I also learned that there is a lot more to the university experience than just textbooks and classrooms. When we started brainstorming the game play for The Sims 3 University Life, we wanted to make sure that we got all of that into the game. Not just the academics, which are of course important, but the socializing, the partying, and the day-to-day experiences of being away from home. All of this even played into picking the name. We included “Life” in the name to evoke the bigger picture of the quintessential university years, from dating and partying, to group study sessions and class activities.

Making the Grade

When you think university,one of the top things in your mind is academics. I mean, it’s the “real” reason you go to university, right? So we wanted to make sure we made this part of the game as robust as it is in real life. That meant we wanted a richer experience than just “doing time” to earn a passing grade. So, we created different objects Sims can use and activities they can do to improve their grades. For example,Science and Medical students have a skeleton they can work on, Communications majors can broadcast their own radio show, and other majors all have their own unique objects that impact Sims’ success. And, of course, university wouldn’t be complete without study groups and lectures, so we’ve got those in the game too!

It’s Who You Know

In The Sims 3 University Life there are different social groups on campus: the nerds, the rebels and the jocks. Hanging out and gaining cred with these three groups offers unique advantages to your Sims, from earning dream jobs to even gaining an extra trait! And just like real life, your Sim can choose to spend time with only one or all three of the social groups. Your Sim might be a Fine Arts major with a techie streak, so your Sim could spend time with both the nerds and the rebels to build the right kind of relationships and story. If your Sim gains enough influence with the nerds, they might even unlock one of the brand new social group careers, such as becoming a video game developer (my favorite new career).

Are You Ready to Party?

Hanging out with friends, going to parties, dating–all of these are also huge parts of the typical university experience. I studied at a school where each year there was an awesome bonfire party held by a group of students. Being so fond of this memory, I really wanted us to include bonfires in the game.  A couple of other guys on the team remembered playing games with ping pong balls at parties and so we included “juice pong” for your Sims to play! We wanted to make sure we included a lot of the iconic party situations from university and I think we got ‘em. We even created a special Party Pack that you will receive when you pre-order the Limited Edition version of the game. The Party Pack features the Partaeus Maximus statue and will give Sims the ability to throw the themed costume bash of their lives! The pack comes with brand new togas, laurel leaves and masquerade masks for those classic college parties. Partaeus Maximus will not only let you choose between toga, masquerade, formal, sleepwear, and swimwear parties, but will also boost the moods of all of your party guests.

Well, thanks for reading upon The Sims 3 University Life today! This is just a quick introduction to some of the fun content that you can expect in this expansion. Stay tuned as we’ll be featuring more details on the game in the coming weeks. Be sure to tune in for our next Live Broadcast taking place on 14^th February at 6PM GMT.

The Sims 3 University Life launches on 8th March and we cannot wait to get this pack in your hands. Until then, watch this space for additional updates, and check out our UK Facebook page HERE  for the latest news and screens from the UK Maxis team!

Kari St. John

Senior Producer, The SimsStudio