Paul Tannek is a smart, polite small-town kid from the Midwest who earns a scholarship to New York University. Following his father's advice, he tries to win friends by being genuinely interested in others. But his first days in the city are rough: his new roommates—Chris, Adam, and Noah—view him as a loser because of his courteous manner, working-class background, and commitment to self-improvement. The three conspire to derail his standing by fabricating a false story about his attitude to the housing administration, which results in Paul being kicked out of the dorm and left to live in a veterinary hospital. When he is later barred from hosting dorm parties, the trio persuades Paul to let them throw a wild gathering at the hospital.
Paul is drawn to classmate Dora Diamond. Dora, who had worked as a waitress in a strip club to pay tuition before she was fired, winds up entangled in an affair with English professor Edward Alcott. She asks Alcott if she can temporarily live with him to save on commuting time, but he declines. Paul invites Dora to a concert by Everclear, a band she adores. On the night of the date, Adam invites Dora to a party at the veterinary hospital where Paul works. She accepts, intending to leave early, but at the party she is roofied by two different people and collapses. After the concert, Paul rushes Dora to the hospital and learns that Alcott is listed as her emergency contact; officials contact Alcott, who denies knowing Dora when reached. As Dora recovers, she and Paul begin to feel a connection, though Paul senses Dora remains drawn to Alcott.
Dora finds a new job and celebrates with Paul, but their moment is interrupted when Alcott reconsiders Dora living with him. He reveals that Chris, Noah, and Adam are blackmailing him for passing grades, and he suspects Paul is involved. After uncovering that roofies were used at the party, Paul takes Noah’s supply and replaces it with placebos. When Paul visits Alcott’s office to ask about Dora, he is given a final exam as a take-home test and declines, putting his scholarship at risk.
Dora overhears Paul speaking with his father about how much he misses her. Alcott then admits he learned Paul had nothing to do with the blackmail, yet he still plans to fail him. Realizing that Paul is the one who truly loves her, Dora ends her affair with Alcott and begins a relationship with Paul, who has dropped Alcott’s course and will take extra credit to maintain his average. Meanwhile, Adam, Noah, and Chris’s misbehavior spirals into bigger problems, and their lives begin to crumble. At the same time, Alcott is exposed and sent to prison for having an affair with an underage student, while Paul and Dora continue their relationship and find happiness together.
