We're geeks, so writing our semester term paper takes priority over partying.

The Sims 2 University expansion lets you take your Sim through four Sims-years of college, attending classes, doing assignments, and taking exams, all while making new friends, adjusting to dorm life, and (if you wish) rushing a Greek house - but by the time graduation day rolls around, this school has become a bit of a grind.

As with The Sims 2, you need to keep your Aspiration meter high by doing certain tasks, such as meeting someone new or buying a tree (yes, buying a tree). You build up your class-performance meter - which determines your grade - by doing assignments, writing term papers, and keeping up your skill levels. Do well, and you'll earn money in the form of grants. Blow off homework, and you'll have to repeat the semester. When you graduate, you move back to the normal Sims neighborhood and start your career.

While University still has Aspiration points, which let you buy cool stuff such as a counterfeit-money machine, the expansion introduces fun Influence points, which give you power over other Sims, persuading them to do things like pull pranks or clean up the house.

Campus life includes hanging out in the student lounge or going shopping - but as with most versions of The Sims, performance in these public areas is slouchy. In fact, load times felt very long in general, even on our dual 2GHz Power Mac G5. Also, there are some time-sync mismatches between your Sims and the environment - they don't affect gameplay, but they do make you go, "Huh?"

The bottom line. University adds an entertaining new dimension to The Sims 2, and it's super-fun when you first start playing. After four "years," however, the game starts to feel repetitive.

COMPANY: Aspyr

CONTACT: 512-708-8100, www.aspyr.com
PRICE: $34.99
REQUIREMENTS: 1.25GHz G4, Mac OS 10.3.9 or later, 256MB RAM, 2GB disk space, 32MB Radeon 9000 or GeForce FX5200 or better, full version of The Sims 2
Lots of new college-themed items. Fun new Influence system.
Performance can still be poky. Game feels repetitive by the end.