(Probably because she's my first Sim through college, and/or because I'm besotted with her, I took about a zillion pictures of Gina Raptor's college career. I won't post more than about fifty of them here, though, so as not to bore you. *8) It will be overwhelmingly obvious from this story that Gina is a thoroughgoing Romance sim; whether this is a matter of predation or generosity is left to the reader to decide.)
The Raptors were quietly proud; little Gina was going to be the first teenager from the neighborhood to attend Sim State University, which had just recently sprung into being.
Eleanor went with her to the taxi.
And she was off.
She arrived at Sim State half grown-up, striding confidently into the dorm. (The Raptors aren't particularly rich, or particularly thorough about skills and scholarships and stuff, so starting in the nice cheap dorms was the only option. It turned out especially nice financially, since no bills arrived the whole time Gina lived there. Very mysterious.)
She made friends quickly, sitting around the dorm cafeteria, talking about life and the future.
She launched right into her studies, and arranged serious one-on-one work sessions with her professors.
Research study groups always welcomed her as a member.
As the year wore on, friendships deepened and ripened.
Various friendships.
Visits by family friends helped her keep in touch with the home neighborhood.
Not all of her time was spent in romance, of course. Some of it was spent in talking about romance.
And of course considerable time was spent in scholarly pursuits.
Toward the end of her Sophomore year, with a little money saved up from the stipends her good grades earned, and with it becoming increasingly difficult to keep her various very good friends in the dorm properly separated, Gina pointed her browser at the Off-Campus Housing Offers page on SimStateU dot com, and looked at houses.
And through great good fortune, she found the perfect property. Here she is, just after class, about to open the door for the first time.
In our next episode(s), the pros and cons of off-campus housing, a very forward professor, some people in blazers, a late-night abduction, the future of the house, a party, and maybe eventually Graduation!
(I hope all these millions of images aren't causing anyone any problems loading the page or anything.)
Having her own place simplified Gina's life considerably. She could entertain good friends one at a time, without much danger of complication.
Her friend Taylor (she did a nice painting of him playing chess back in the dorm, but I can't find a picture of it) turned out to be a very snappy dresser when outside the dorm. A very interesting blazer.
And even a block off campus, interesting people would still drop by.
One day she invited a professor from her department over. It was the first time they'd met outside of class (and the occasional telephone call), but he was quite forward. Complimenting her extravagantly the first time he visited:
And the second time, he actually kissed her!
They got along very well; he was one of her favorite professors, and she apparently impressed him very favorably.
Notional weeks and months passed, and Gina entered into her Senior year with a sparkling academic record (as well as continuing to enjoy a busy social life). That snappy blazer turned up again on Regina, a casual acquaintance from the dorm who dropped by one day.
They quickly became friends...
...finding important interests in common.
(This was where Gina did that great looking into the camera thing.)
The blazer turned up yet again on an even more casual acquaintance passing by.
They were interrupted by a ringing phone, and a mysterious limousine.
There was that blazer again.
The limo dropped her off on a street she'd never seen before. She was wearing one of those blazers herself, and there was her very good friend Taylor, cheering and welcoming her to an ancient secret society.
She considered punching Taylor's lights out, but instead she greeted him tenderly. Raptors' hearts are flitting generous things.
Gina made herself comfortable in the elegant old house.
When she finally had to leave, she looked back fondly at the building, and wished that she'd found out about it sooner in her college career.
In our next episode(s): money troubles, the end of Senior year, etc, etc!
(Looks like we're going to have IV parts, but the last two will be shorter than the first two.)
Gina returned from the Landgraab Society building flush with feelings of wealth and abundance. She went out shopping (and contracting), and made numerous improvements to the little house.
Unfortunately, when she was done she found that she had used essentially all of her money. So she hit the campus lounge, hoping to score some tips performing on the guitar. Unfortunately, the other students there were more interested in performing with her.
Next, she tried tending bar. This was slightly more successful.
Wallet no longer empty and the end of her final semester approaching, Gina got down to serious academic business once again.
When you're as popular as Gina, the phone can be a real annoyance.
The last final exam of her undergraduate career only hours away, our heroine does some last-minute intensive cramming.
Then, it's time to go.
She returns in triumph! Magna See-You-Em Laude.
Gleeful, she calls family and friends and talks about success and love and philosophy.
She invites friends over for a little private celebration; the big party will come later.
It's a happy moment.
The next morning, Taylor comes over for a morning pick-me-up. "So Taylor," she says, "I've been thinking it'd be a pity to leave the house to some stranger. And since you're mysteriously still a freshman despite having been at college since the day after I enrolled and somehow getting into the Landgraab Society before me, I thought maybe you could come and live here and watch the place after I've gone."
Taylor gladly accepts.
In the next and final episode of Gina's college years: the big grad party, and goodbye to Sim State U!
(The epilogue.)
After graduation and recovery, what's left but to party?! Gina sets up the yard.
Gina invites some of her friends (but no lovers, so as not to upset kind Taylor, who is upstairs sleeping; Frosh have tough lives). So this is just a friendly hug:
As night fell, the friends relaxed with a hot tub and a hot fire.
What more could a girl ask for?
Adulthood, that's what!
Cutting things close, Gina went straight from the party (a Roof Raiser) to her airport-bound taxi.
Good-bye, dear Sim State U! Good-bye all my very good friends out there! It was fun!
And after everyone else is gone Taylor is left by himself, with the quiet house and his own future.
So there we are! I hope y'all liked the story, and that it wasn't Way Too Much Detail.
Eager to hear about what your Sims are doing. *8)