Zoe Zimmerman - Junior Year

Zoe's Sophomore year is here.

The last name on my alphabetical list and the last household to play for this round - YAY!! That name is of course Zoe Zimmerman, and she still lives here at No. 116 Aridestra Drive, in a rented property on the campus of Strangetown's La Fiesta Tech.

You know the house as being home to The Shifting Paradymes. According to Maxis, the three band members "have bonded over their love of music and moved into their own place to focus on their art. Will living outside the dorms inspire them enough to create the masterpiece they desire?" 

Well, we can safely say that a masterpiece is not in sight. In fact, one of the Shifting Paradymes truly has shifted; Gunnar has graduated and lives now in Strangetown, where he pursues his lifetime want of having woohoo with 20 different Sims. 

Jasmine Rai (back) and Zoe Zimmerman (front) have only just started their Junior Year. Both girls study history and need to acquire one or two skills for this semester. They aspire to become sorority members, but so far they have not succeeded.

"Zoe joined the band to get out of the dorms and make some new friends, but her real focus is on her studies. As much as she likes music, Zoe wants to graduate and get a job." That is what Maxis have written about her. 

The job she has in mind is in the culinary career, as she fancies herself as a future Celebrity Chef, a typical lifetime want for a Popularity Sim like her. Maybe majoring in History will be helpful when it comes to the history of cooking :-)

The girls have been doing well during their Sophomore Year and intend to spend some of the 5,221 Simoleons they have saved on new clothes - spring is here, and they have "nothing to wear". Therefore, after class they walk to The Mirage Shopping Center. 

Both make their choice of outfits in their preferred colours and then stay on for a bit of socialising with fellow students. 

Back at their house, Jasmine invites Gunnar over (his room with the double bed has been left untouched since he moved out) and helps him towards his lifetime want. If my count is correct, she is the 4th Sim he has woohoo with, aiming for 20. 

You can guess what happens the next day, can't you? Zoe reasons that, seeing how she and Gunnar have been best friends for life, there is nothing wrong with helping him with his lifetime want, too.

Jasmine doesn't see it that way, though! She comes storming in on them - I didn't think she'd notice, since I was deliberately keeping her busy in another part of the house.

Gunnar hardly saw what hit him...!

Zoe apologises multiple times. She still has a 100/100 relationship towards Jasmine, but her friend is really hurt. 

She agrees to sit with Zoe for a spot of lunch before class, though, and listens to Zoe talking about how there are now just the two of them left for the rest of their time at uni, and that she really, really wants to patch things up between them. 

Jasmine has been wanting to join the sorority for about a year and thinks that this would be one way of her not sharing a house with just Zoe anymore. She asks Tiffany Riley over, the only "sister" she is friends with, and hopes to pass the assessment by the other girls.

She even tips Danielle Smith very generously when the girl discovers the instruments on the roof top and plays the bass for bit. Still to no avail; Jasmine really needs to work a bit more on her relationship to the other girls.

After her repeatedly negative experience with the sorority girls, Jasmine realises that making and keeping friends is not quite so easy... and that friends are really precious. She smiles at Zoe when the next morning they sit down for their cereal. She is still somewhat mad at Zoe, but slowly coming round, much to Zoe's relief. 

This also helps with their exams, and both girls get good grades: Zoe an A, and Jasmine an A+. 

This semester, it's all about Mechanical, and Zoe achieves her required skill point on the very first evening.

By now, Jasmine is as good as over "Gunnargate"; she feels she really does not want to lose her best friend, and makes peace with Zoe.

Just going to class is not enough once a student reaches Junior Year, it seems. Zoe writes her Term Paper (as per my wish, not hers), which gives her grade a big boost.

Jasmine has only written one or two assignments; she'll pass, but certainly not with an A+. In her spare time, she has been diligently making calls to the girls at the sorority house. 

She tries again the next day and invites the girls over. Only one of the "sisters" needs some convincing, but then... 

...Jasmine can hardly believe it herself: She is now a full member of the Tri-Fruhm Sorority! 

Not much later, Zoe follows suit. Now both ladies can think about moving to the sorority house for their Senior Year.

First, though, they need to get through their end of year exams. Both of them succeed; Zoe achieves an A+ and proudly sees her name on the Dean's List. Jasmine has still managed to get a B+, which is good enough for her (she has not wished for any college-related things all year). 

It was nice to play the two friends and finally getting them into the sorority! Jasmine's jealousy over Gunnar nearly cost them their friendship, but they managed to patch things up and are now as close as ever. 

And wow - this round is over...!! I can hardly believe it myself. It has taken me so long! Next I will begin at the top of the list again with the Aspir family.

Guy Wrightley - Junior Year

The previous year at the fraternity house is here.

Just like with the previous and the next household, we're going to spend time at Strangetown's La Fiesta Tech, this being the next-to-last house before my first round in the new setup (not so new anymore, actually!) is over. 

The Oresha-Hoh-Var fraternity was, according to Maxis, founded by Guy Wrightley's great-grandfather decades ago. And it is Guy who we're here for. 

He is of course the young man on the left, and his Junior Year has just begun. 

His frat brothers Mickey Dosser (centre) and Matthew Hart (right) are Sophomores, but while Matthew has also just begun the year, Mickey has already finished the first semester. Together, the boys have close to 6,900 Simoleons. 

Guy "is a great student, a good friend, and generally successful at all his endeavors. Can anything knock him off his even keel?" His aspiration is Popularity, and he wants nothing more than having 20 best friends. Because I have not been focusing on him so far, he only has two so far, with a third (Mickey) in the making; he and Matthew are not even friends yet. 

As usual, skills need to be gained for the new semester, but before Guy can be expected to do anything else, he needs to eat. Funnily enough, he has made it through his first two years at uni without acquiring a single cooking point, and therefore sandwiches is all he can do. 

Buck Grunt has been walking by earlier and was greeted by Mickey while Guy was at class; he seems to be more intent on doing research than on eating with his host - the food at his dorm must be better :-) 

This explains why Guy has not deemed it necessary to learn to cook - he can always get free pizza from campus. (But I do wonder why it wasn't required for his Freshman and Sophomore years.) 

Mickey Dosser becomes his best friend today; that's 3 down, 17 more to go. 

River Smith is asked to pledge for fraternity membership as per Guy's wish, and of course as soon as he becomes a Pledge is ordered to clean. 

Meanwhile, Mickey makes Blossom Moonbeam his lover, the first of 20. 

After class, Guy can't help noticing the sorry state of the cacti around the house and gets rid of the dead plants on his own accord. Good job his great-grandfather is long gone - he would NOT have been proud of his great-grandson letting standards slip at the fraternity house.

Tiffany Riley becomes Mickey's lover #2 before the day is over.

Winter is here, and although it has only snowed once so far and that has not lasted, it is cold enough for Guy to light the fire in the dining room. 

All three "brothers" have their end-of-term exam at the same time, and for Mickey, it is the end-of-year exam; he is now in his first Junior term, while Matthew is in is 2nd Sophomore term and Guy in his 2nd Junior term. Unlike the other two, Guy came back with an A-. Their grants combine to a healthy 8,625 Simoleons; time to upgrade their beds, I think. 

This is Guy's new bed, out of the "Castle Collection", which I only recently added to my game thanks to Twoyys4me :-) (Sorry - when I took the picture I didn't notice the mantle sticking out like that!)

Matthew is the only one here who can make Comfort Soup, and tonight Guy and Mickey benefit from it, eating in the cosy dining room, while Matthew stupidly insists on eating outdoors.

There is finally enough snow for a snowman. Mickey builds it, and Guy adds the finishing touches.

<Snapshot>

On an evening like this, the lit up windows of the Cacti Café look especially inviting, and the three frat brothers walk over there for some socialising. 

Guy buys Matthew a coffee, and the two are finally friends. Zoe Zimmerman and another playable student, Shenene Kim, are also here.

Of course Mickey takes every chance he gets to meet new ladies - all potential candidate for his list of 20 lovers. Here he is having a flirty snowball fight with Shenene. 

Guy prefers having coffee by the fire, while a study group gathers to do some research together. 

Unfortunately, Mickey falls victim to the Unsavoury Charlatan. After this, the boys head home. 

In the first half of his Junior Year, Guy got good grades in spite of never writing any assignments, let along his Term Paper. He just worked on the required skills and made sure not to miss class. This term things are different; his grades won't go up to a satisfying level, not even after one or two assignments. Therefore, I finally have him knuckle down and write the Term Paper. 

(This was an experiement; usually, I have every student write their papers and only then they can do as they please.) 

Mickey makes Professor Frances Platz his 3rd lover, while Guy has just made his fourth best friend in Jasmine Rai.

And all of a sudden, the last day of term is here - Exam Day for all three! Mickey and Guy have managed to get an A+ each, while Matthew got a B+. 

Next time I'll play here will be for D as in Dosser, Mickey. At least one new fraternity member should move in then, but will it be Francis J. Worthington III, or someone else?

Just one more household left to play - Zoe Zimmerman -, and the first round will be over!!

Francis J. Worthington III - Freshman Year

We're back on campus at Strangetown's La Fiesta Tech. To be more precise, we're at No. 134 Aridestra Drive, the private residence - not a rented place or a dorm - of Francis J. Worthington III. 

According to Maxis, "The Worthingtons are used to a lavish life so it makes sense that Francis would be given his very own residence throughout college. Can he keep his grades up and make his money last or will he be forced to find a roommate?" 

The house is spacious enough for more than one Sim, but for now, he's on his own. To be fair, he's only just arrived for the start of his Freshman Year. 

The ground floor opens to a hall with staircase, big enough to hold a large TV with video game and a settee. Off to the left is the kitchen with an archway leading through to the dining room where there is also an upright piano, a book shelf and an armchair where Francis can do his reading. On the back porch, a grill with table and chairs is set up, and on ground level is a small swimming pool. 

Upstairs is the bedroom with a desk and computer plus a long, narrow bathroom. Francis has 989 Simoleons in cash but won't need any money just yet, so he'll be fine when the bills come round if he makes sure to have good enough grades and receives the full student grant.

Here he is, looking rather serious bordering on the unhappy. His lifetime want is to become Hall of Famer, which suits his Fortune aspiration but not entirely the Economics major he has already chosen. 

If we are to believe his personal bio, he "doesn't believe he needs any friends aside from the Simoleons he keeps hidden under his mattress. He prefers to keep to himself and is hoping to join the secret society he keeps hearing about." With him, I really should make the effort and finally have a Sim joining the Secret Society, shouldn't I! 

For his first semester, Francis needs a cooking skill point, which is quickly gained. He still has plenty of time before class and decides to walk to La Plaza in order to meet a few of his fellow students. 

Matthew Hart is here, as are a few others not in the picture, such as Jasmine Rai and Zoe Zimmerman. The most interesting person right now for Francis is one of the girls at the chess table: Anna Knight is wearing the Secret Society jacket! 

A wish to earn some money is fulfilled by freestyling for tips, which has the added benefit of attracting Anna Knight's attention. 

He ends up eating his (somewhat overdone) hot dog at the same table where Anna is working on an assignment, but Francis doesn't get out much of her beyond a polite "nice to meet you".

The next day brings a visit from a student Francis has not met before. He rushes in, waving his arms and flashing his teeth... as well as everything else. Francis is completely unimpressed. 

The bills are paid, leaving him with just under 600 Simoleons. 

Just as he goes back in, coach Curtis Love walks up to the house. Since Francis sees his future at the top of the Athletic career, getting to know Curtis might not be a bad idea, and instead of working out, he talks to the man. In other news, he makes friends over the phone with Anna Knight. Step One towards Secret Society membership! 

Now that Curtis Love knows that Francis's heart is set on a career in sports, the coach rings him daily to give him advice. 

And just like the local streaker has made it his habit to turn up at the house every day, Francis has made it his habit to ignore him.

The first semester goes by in a blink, and Exam Day is here. To calm those pre-exam nerves, what's better than watching the cooking channel! (Culinary is Francis' preferred hobby.)

It must have worked, because he returns with an A+, his name on the Dean's List and the full grant, raising his cash to almost 1,800 Simoleons. And he never wrote his Term Paper! 

Now he needs a Mechanical and a Creativity point, but he also wants to increase his cooking skill plus pursue his friendship with Anna. Therefore, he invites her over and prepares a batch of hamburgers. Anna appears to be a bit shy, or why else would she choose to sit from him as far away as possible? Maybe Francis should not have talked about becoming best friends for life so early on in their friendship. 

The next day starts with Francis working on his skills.

Then, Jasmine Rai (already a friend of his) comes over by her own accord.

And look who's here again...! The streaker seems to think that this girl is hardly wearing more than he is :-D 

Just before it's time to leave for class, Francis spots Blossom Moonbeam outside and greets her. Black hair is one of his attractions, but funnily enough he has a crossed out bolt for Blossom.

Back from class, he invites Anna over again, and this time she is anything but shy - she surprises him (and me!) by kissing him tenderly there and then on the porch! So far, there had been no romantic interactions at all between the two.

But now of course it is time for Francis to break out the champagne - he's not a Worthington for nothing! Jasmine has been there all afternoon and stays for a burger and a glass of bubbly.

Over the next days, Coach Curtis Love keeps calling for his daily pep talk and recommendations to his most eager coachee. 

One of those recommendations was for Francis to try Yoga, and after his very first session the young man does not only feel super relaxed but also super fit. 

On the day he is due to sit this year's final exam, Francis discovers that the cacti outside his house he thought so durable are not so durable after all. "Maybe I should have watered them..." he thinks. Yes, Francis, maybe you should have. 

Just as he is about to go back in, who should turn up but the streaker. When he sees Francis' somewhat downcast look, he leaves without bothering him.

To cheer up and get himself into a good mood for the exams, Francis asks Anna over, and of course she is there in flash. They watch some TV together and have a salad before it is time to go to the exam. 

A still serious looking but actually quite happy Francis returns again with an A+, his name on the Dean's List and the full grant. His Freshman Year over, the new Sophomore has now over 2,700 Simoleons to play with.

Will his next year be as easy sailing as this one? Is he going to meet some of Anna's friends and become a member of the Secret Society? What about his Major in Economics - should he change to Sports in view of his lifetime want? 

It is going to take me probably two years or so before I'll be back to play Francis, unless of course he will move to the Fraternity house or with someone else at their rented property. Playing him through his Freshman Year was relaxing - no stress whatsoever. Once, a cheerleader came visiting, but neither mascot turned up.