Beta Beaker: The Freshman Year

Welcome back to the Pinenut Plaza Dorms at Sim State Uni, where we last accompanied Tina Traveller through her adventurous first year. Now we are here because this is where Beta Beaker is going to spend her first year, along with Tina and (for now) six non-playable students. (Currently, I have two full dorms of eight playable students each, so Tina had to open her "own" dorm and could not fit into any of the existing ones. As soon as there are going to be empty slots at the full dorms, they are going to move.)

Before she has even decided on a major, Beta rolls the want to write her Term Paper, and write it she does! Typical Knowledge Sim :-)

Yes, dear, you really are in college now.

Beta often stops to "primp"; I have not observed this behaviour in many (if any) of my other Sims.

She comes across Tina Traveller for the first time when they both watch a fight between the Llama and the Cow mascots.

Llama 1, Cow 0!

So far, Beta has not yet spoken to Tina. She goes to bed on her first night without having talked to any of her dorm-mates.

Meanwhile, Tina is enjoying a dance session with non-playable Tamzay, who is not only a dorm-mate but also a fellow member of the Secret Society that accepted Tina during her first year.

Her room is next to Beta's, but still the two young women haven't spoken. I am sure this is going to change soon; it always does.

Once Tina has acquired the necessary skill point(s) and written her Term Paper so that she can advance in her studies, I leave her free to do what she wants. This morning, this means visiting one of her male (non-playable) dorm mates in his room - still in her very short, skimpy night dress.

Meanwhile, Beta is once more on "primp" mode.

And finally, when Tina steps out of her dorm-mate's room and Beta is on the way to the bathroom, the two stop and acknowledge each other.

They both finish the semester at the same time. Beta has, by the way, decided on the Mathematics major.

Early on in the second semester, Tina is given her membership card to tbe My Muse - Music & Dance studio. Note the pile of rubbish in the corner. It's been there for a while, and although each and every student loudly complain about it, so far nobody has been willing or able to pick it up.

Of course, this results in an infestation of bugs after a while, and I am quite impressed with Tina's ability to handle it. Unlike most other Sims, she does not just stomp on the bugs, but sprays them. And Beta eventually removes the small pile of dead bugs, while someone else (I never saw it happening) finally got rid of the pile of rubbish.

After her bug-spraying activity, Tina's hygiene level is very low. There is a perfectly accessible bathroom on the top floor, but instead of going there for a shower, Tina insists on having a sponge bath right there in the cafeteria, where everyone can see her, fellow students and cafeteria cook included!

"A letter from my Mum, how nice!" Only recently, after her father's untimely death, Tina has begun to work on her relationship with her estranged mother. Trisha left her and her husband when Tina was still in her teens, and went to live with Carlos Contender, who was her three-bolt-love. When Carlos died, Trisha was hoping for reconciliation with her husband and daughter, but Trent died before she could get in touch with him again.

Every now and then, I make sure to fulfill some of Tina's and Beta's wishes. Today, Tina takes Beta along to the Music & Dance Studio, where she hopes to win a dance contest.

"I've had my name on the dean's list three times already, ladies, so a little dance contest does not represent any problem to me," she brags.

Well, she spoke too soon; it is the professor who wins this contest. The head of the studio obviously finds Gabriella Newson (in the white pants), who was another contestant, very attractive!

Tina does not give up, and indeed wins the next contest with her Hula performance.

Back at the dorm, the girls have now started to take their meals together.

Beta wakes up one morning late into the second semester to a white world of muffled sounds. Winter is here, and she knows just what to do.

She is on the phone a few times this morning, inviting her family over for a pre-Christmas gathering, and hopes that the roads will be passable, what with all the snow.

Tina thinks the party is a great idea, and invites her mother, too. Trisha is obviously very happy to see her daughter.

Björn and Beta have not been very close while they were younger, but Beta is happy that he followed her invitation, and the two of them have a good time together.

Beta's parents, Circe and Loki, are having their own private party, it seems :-) I did put up a mistletoe in the cafeteria, but nobody was interested in it, not even those two lovebirds.

*Sigh* will that stupid cow ever stop playing her stupid tricks?

Beta is very neat and takes it upon herself to clean up the mess caused by the cow.

Beta's Freshman year ends with an A+, same for Tina. Beta is now a Sophomore, while Tina is a Junior. Will these two soon move in at one of the other dorms, or are they going to be joined by new students from New Maximiliania?