Is there a start up guide?

[ark22k]

I'm really bad at starting these sorts of games (getting past that initial hurdle where your daughter fails at everything and you don't have money for classes). I really like the story and the actual gameplay once I get past the beginning. The problem is most guides are general requirements for certain endings and what classes to take. I followed one ending guide where it said to be a maid for the noble house and then one at the palace, but my daughter never succeeded at the jobs and never got very high stats. Is there some sort of beginners guide to reach that stable place that I can continue the game from?

[Catlinica]

Hm, I'm not aware of any start up guides in English, sorry. It certainly is an Old School game where you were required to read the manual. I use these: (Steam censors non-Steam links, so just delete the spaces)
https:// gamefaqs. gamespot. com/pc/580467-princess-maker-3-fairy-tales-come-true/faqs/10105
I also run the Japanese wiki through Google's Japanese to English translator:
https:// www26. atwiki. jp /princess maker1-5/

Honestly, I want to answer your question, but I'm in the middle of writing an ending guide for Princess Maker 5 right now, so I would have to do it afterword. You can ask me any small questions you like here. I've been playing since 1999, and am thrilled to have new players in English. :)
For instance, Part-Time jobs require a certain stat to succeed at. With the maid job, the Attitude/Temperance/Kindness stat is the one that helps her do better, which ironically, is a stat the job also lowers. I often build up the Temperance stat with the Babysitter job, and then alternate that with the Maid job.

ETA: Loaded up a save to see that stat is called Attitude.

[ark22k]

Originally posted by Catalina:

Okay, so how do I pass exams? She takes a class a few times, fails an exam that I didn't know was coming up, then she gains stress and loses stats.

[lindley.waltersmith]

Late comment, but it sounds like you need to get her attitude and vitality up. Housework is good early on to improve attitude. You're always going to have to junk at least one stat early on, usually elegance, so don't worry about that too much. You can improve it later on.

The exams seem to be based on both the appropriate stats (the ones the class raises) and how many times she has attended that class since the last exam.

[ark22k]

Originally posted by lindley.waltersmith:

You're always going to have to junk at least one stat early on, usually elegance, so don't worry about that too much. You can improve it later on.

Oh, thanks! I think that was my issue.