Whitley thrills her friends by announcing that she has finally decided that Dwayne is the right man for her. Although she answered his love letters during the summer, she chose not to send her replies because she wanted to leave him begging for more. When she goes to Dwayne's apartment to share her feelings, she discovers that he met someone during his summer in Japan. He introduces her to girlfriend Kinu, a beautiful Japanese American who attends nearby Avery College. In addition to her emotional turmoil, Whitley does not have a place to live because she lost her apartment by failing to pay the security deposit. Jaleesa reluctantly allows her to temporarily stay at her apartment (across the hall from Dwayne's). Whitley vows that she will not screw up if she gets another chance with Dwayne. Col. Taylor's son Terrence enrolls at Hillman. His overzealous behavior around women earns him the nickname ""Pee Wee Hormone.""

Whitley accepts a date with the persistent Ron in the hopes of making Dwayne jealous. She leaves a series of answering machine messages in which she repeats the time and location of the date, believing that Dwayne will show up. Ron ignores Dwayne's warning and insists that Whitley really likes him. After they have a good time at a club, Whitley feels guilty and admits that she was trying to get to Dwayne. Ron accepts her apology and says that he is happy to help, as he cannot stand Kinu. Ron pleads for a kiss at the end of the evening, and Whitley pecks him on the cheek. When Dwayne comes out of his apartment, she pulls Ron into a long liplock. Freddie hopes to get into a class taught by Professor Randolph, a respected authority on African American history. Professor Randolph asks students to write an essay explaining why they would like to enroll, but Freddie impresses him with a performance art piece. Freddie's cousin Matthew, who is white, comes over from Avery College to take the c

Walter narrates a Twilight Zone-style look at the students' struggles during midterms. Whitley must complete a report for her somewhat sadistic accounting professor by the following day. She struggles to find a quiet place to work after Jaleesa and a date kick her out of the apartment. Dwayne, working as a teaching assistant for Col. Taylor, cannot keep Terrence from skipping class. Col. Taylor discovers the truth, leaving Dwayne with just 24 hours to get Terrence ready for the midterm or lose his grad school recommendations. Freddie begins hearing voices that shake her confidence before her midterm in Professor Randolph's class.

Whitley thrives academically after she begins dating Dwayne, while he gets the first C of his life because he spends all his time fawning over her instead of studying. He dreams that the C is the beginning of a downward spiral; and that he will end up a fat, lazy slob whom Whitley eventually dumps. Whitley wakes him up and offers him cookies, and Dwayne starts yelling and throws her out of the apartment. Crushed, she throws herself into her role as director of Ron and Freddie's video time capsule. Dwayne dreams that he devotes himself to science at the expense of everything else. He wins the Nobel Prize, but is devastated to find that Whitley married someone else. Dwayne apologizes to Whitley and explains his problem.

Ron's father sends him a car to officially welcome him into the family car dealership. Ron cannot stand the business and wishes to become a professional drummer. Whitley warns Ron not to alienate his father, while Dwayne believes that he should pursue his dreams. Ron tries to share his decision with his father, but is too vague. Mr. Johnson shows up with a sports car for Ron and is shocked to learn his son's plans. Terrence disagrees with his father's decision to become the first black member of a country club. Col. Taylor reconsiders after discovering that the club must integrate in order to be eligible to host the PGA Championship. Although the head of membership insists that he has tried to break down the barriers for years, Col. Taylor doesn't feel the timing is right.

Whitley has to cut into the tuition check from her father to cover her share of the rent. She looks for a job, but turns down every offer. She is especially repulsed by the possibility of working at a mortuary with Kim. Whitley helps Ron organize a party (with cover charge) at a local warehouse. The event is a huge success, but the fire marshal shuts it down and fines Ron and Whitley for exceeding capacity. Although Dwayne sells his computer to pay the tuition, Jaleesa warns Whitley that he may eventually get tired of bailing her out. Whitley hocks some jewelry, takes the mortuary job, and repurchases Dwayne's computer. Terrence returns from a weekend trip to Washington, D.C. and proclaims himself a Muslim. His father isn't sure that he has given his decision enough thought, and doubts that Terrence can maintain a commitment to the religion.

As her marketing project, Whitley organizes a ""Men of Hillman"" calendar. Dwayne is offended when she doesn't ask him to participate; she doesn't consider him brawny enough. She finally lets him pose for the calendar, but superimposes his face on someone else's body. Ron finds himself juggling three Valentine's dates, as one of his girlfriends gets the night off from work and another returns early from an out-of-town trip. When he comes clean with the girl he likes the most, she is not as understanding as he had hoped. Jaleesa and Col. Taylor spend Valentine's Day together, until his bad back cuts the evening short. Matthew hopes to ease Kim's discomfort about being seen with him in public. Mr. Gaines tries to placate his wife, who complains that he is not as amorous as he was at one time. Freddie raves about a secret admirer, and is disappointed to find that it is Terrence.

Matthew arranges for some friends from the National Theatre of the Deaf to perform for the children from the community center outreach program. Kim feels embarrassed by Matthew's free-spirited behavior, which she considers too silly. Matthew insists that his passion for acting is as great as Kim's devotion to medicine, and offers the opinion that art is just as important as science. Kim cares about Matthew, but is uncertain about their relationship. She observes Dwayne and Whitley's example and decides that they can learn to appreciate each other's differences. Everyone teases Whitley about her tendency to run off at the mouth. Dwayne bets that she cannot go a full day without speaking.

Dwayne receives an incredible job offer from Kinishewa. Although Whitley and Ron insist that he should jump at the offer, Dwayne is torn between the job and grad school. He finally accepts, only to change his mind after his words of wisdom dissuade Terrence from dropping out of school. He decides to attend grad school and keep teaching, as he believes the job will always be available if he needs it. Jaleesa's visiting sister, a homemaker who is bored with her life, marvels at her independence. She wishes to emulate her, and Jaleesa must convince her that she can go back to school without leaving her husband.

Whitley gets a job as an assistant art buyer for E.H. Wright Industries. She attends an auction in Washington, D.C. as an observer. When her boss steps out to take a phone call, Whitley disobeys her wishes by bidding on a painting from a promising young artist. Whitley fears that she will lose her job, but the painting turns out to be a great investment. Although her boss disagrees with her tactics, she applauds Whitley's intuition and enthusiasm. Freddie's new philosophical radio call-in show fails to attract interest because no one has any idea what she is talking about. She becomes a big hit after she assumes the persona of Jamaican-born ""Mother Eartha"" and distributes advice to her listeners.

The community outreach program loses funding after a corporate buyout, so Walter organizes a three-hour telethon to raise the $15,000 it needs to remain in operation. Jaleesa, Kim and Kinu sing, and Mr. Gaines tap dances (with musical accompaniment from Col. Taylor). Whitley's tribute to Josephine Baker falls apart when her male dance partners begin fighting over her. Dwayne begs for a chance to perform stand-up comedy, but suffers from stage fright. Although the telethon enjoys some initial success, the phones stop ringing during the final hour. The program only raises about $7000. Walter assures the children that he will find a way to come up with the rest of the money.

Whitley is placed in charge of pledges for her sorority. She lets the power go to her head, and is especially hard on Kim. Kim leads a revolt and gets all of the pledges to walk out on Whitley. News of Whitley's humiliation spreads across the campus, so she becomes furious and challenges Kim to a fight. They eventually settle their differences, and Kim and the other pledges are accepted to the sorority. Ron also handles the pledges for his fraternity. He devises a way to convince show-off Terrence to think more about the interests of his brothers.

Whitley plans to sleep with Dwayne for the first time on his birthday. The public speaking professor assigns the students to write their own eulogies. A young woman named Josie stuns everyone with her speech, in which she reveals that she contracted AIDS through unprotected sex in high school. Gina and Terrence display their ignorance about the disease and are afraid to be around Josie. Kim and Mr. Gaines defend her and advise the duo to become more informed. Ron worries that he could fall victim to AIDS because of his history of casual sex. He and Dwayne decide to undergo HIV testing. Whitley, still shaken by the news of Josie's illness, decides that she just isn't ready for sex.

Walter announces that he is leaving Hillman to take a job at a community center in Philadelphia. A roast is organized to give everyone a chance to say goodbye to him. Ron learns that he cannot graduate because he failed to take a European history course. Walter lobbies the dean on his behalf and convinces him to let Ron take the final. Although his friends help him cram for the test, Ron cannot learn enough in one night to pass the difficult exam. He wants to drop out of school, until Walter reminds him of his father's probable reaction. Kim receives a grant to study medicine in London over the summer. She and Matthew must head their separate ways, as he is going to spend the summer with an acting company in Seattle.

Dwayne and Whitley prepare for the coming school year at Hillman. He will teach classes, and she will serve as director of a new dormitory. She accepted his proposal and only kept the New York job for the summer. Dwayne asks Ron to pick up Whitley's engagement ring while he is stuck in a meeting. Ron somehow does not realize that the 2.5 carat ring the jeweler gives him is not the one that Dwayne purchased. Street-smart freshman Lena James tries to find housing after the computer fails to give her a room. She manipulates Whitley into letting her stay in her extra bedroom. Col. Taylor and Jaleesa shock everyone by revealing that they eloped. Terrence has trouble getting used to the idea of having a stepmother.

Dwayne gives his calculus class a graded quiz on the first day of the year, even though he hasn't taught them anything yet. He plans to give a test every day, and asks the students to sign contracts promising to work extra hours every week. Lena tears up her contract and leads a walk-out. Col. Taylor warns Dwayne that he will be fired unless he comes to a compromise with the students. Dwayne agrees to set more reasonable standards. He explains that he will hold high expectations because he wants the class to accomplish great things. Ron attends the funeral of a professor he didn't know in order to buy Washington Bullets season tickets from the widow. Dwayne infuriates Whitley by cutting into his share of their joint account for a ticket. Col. Taylor advises Jaleesa to set up her new temp agency at the house. Freddie asks for a job, but has trouble finding anything that meets her moral standards.

A student's decision to drop out of school allows Lena to move into her own room, much to Whitley's relief. Whitley tries to dump all of the dorm duties onto resident assistant Kim. Kim discovers that Lena is cooking in her room. Before she can do anything about it, Kim has to go break up a fight. Lena sells her gumbo to the other students. She inadvertently starts a fire. The dean wants to suspend her, but Whitley and Kim come to her defense. Lena has to take a job at the Pit to pay for the fire damage to her room. Terrence moves back in with Jaleesa and Col. Taylor.

E.H. Wright needs a new secretary, so Whitley recommends Jaleesa's temp agency. Unfortunately, the company needs to fill the position immediately, and the only person available is Freddie. Freddie overhears the head of personnel say that she does not believe in affirmative action; she feels that she earned her job on merit, and wants others to do the same. Freddie lights into the woman and tells her that she has a duty to her race. Freddie gets fired, making both Jaleesa and Whitley look very bad. Jaleesa agrees with Freddie's stance and isn't sure she wants to do business with E.H. Wright. Col. Taylor angers his wife by pointing out that attacking one's boss because she holds a different point of view is not very smart. Freddie realizes that her behavior was inappropriate, and she and Jaleesa both apologize. Lena has difficulty understanding Shakespeare because of the language barrier. She delves into the spirit of the work and translates it into more modern terms.

A hurricane approaches Hillman, forcing Dwayne and Whitley to cancel plans to spend their anniversary in Washington, D.C. Several dozen people seek refuge in the Pit after the storm washes out the roads and prevents them from being shipped to a shelter. Jaleesa begins to panic and winds up getting drunk. Kim grows tired of everyone asking her questions and expecting her to take charge of the situation. Col. Taylor continually refuses Terrence's offer to help with preparations. He later comes to realize that he has underestimated his son. Ron shows up at the radio station and tries to get Freddie to play his band's demo tape. They start sniping at each other, and argue for so long that they get trapped inside the studio. They eventually call a truce and try to comfort each other. Freddie apparently loses her virginity to Ron during the storm. They promise to keep this a secret, but everyone hears them talking about it on the radio.

Dwayne agrees to provide Lena with free tutoring to help her bring up her calculus grade. They bond over their mutual love of basketball and become friends. Whitley insists that Lena has a crush on Dwayne. Dwayne refuses to believe this until Lena leaves an answering machine message in which she raps about her romantic interest in him. Dwayne pushes her away, but fears that he acted insensitively. Whitley shows a surprising level of tolerance for Lena's behavior. She realizes that Lena is homesick and lonely, and offers to serve as her confidante. Ron enlists Kim's help in marketing a line of beauty products (supposedly) designed for African American women.

The club owner fires Ron's band, X-Pression, because the group is not bringing in any customers. Dwayne suggests that Ron hire a vocalist. Kim agrees to take the job, and her singing ability brings acclaim to the group. However, she quickly begins to overshadow the rest of the band, and lets the attention go to her head. She turns into a complete diva and alienates her friends. Ron tries to fire her, but Kim smugly points out that they will lose the gig without her. Ron and the band respond to Kim's antics by stopping in the middle of a song and walking out. Kim realizes that she is out of control. She apologizes and agrees to tone down her behavior. Col. Taylor fears that he is too old to keep up with Jaleesa. He buys a Harley and takes up dancing in an attempt to impress her, but ends up hurting himself. Jaleesa puts him at ease by revealing that she is pregnant.

Before Dwayne and Whitley can deal with the repercussions of his revelation, her mother arrives for the engagement party. Dwayne's parents come to town, and Adele and Marion instantly despise each other. They clash over preparations for the party and wedding, and end up getting into a scuffle and throwing flowers all over the dorm lounge. Dwayne tells Whitley that he is feeling trapped; he fears that they are rushing into marriage. Dwayne has a talk with his father, who insists that it is common to have cold feet. Mrs. Gilbert and Mrs. Wayne establish an uneasy truce during the party. Each of the parents makes a touching toast to the couple and its future. Whitley announces that she is calling off the wedding and runs out. Dwayne follows her and pleads that he still loves her. He points out that his father said that everyone has doubts. ""Doubts, Dwayne. Not dates,"" she replies. Whitley tells Dwayne that she wants to be with him for the rest of her life, and asks if he can say the same.

Col. Taylor, Jaleesa and Terrence argue about preparations for their first Christmas as a family. Jaleesa asks Whitley to join them for Christmas dinner. Dwayne's plans to go skiing fall through when his date dumps him for constantly talking about Whitley. Col. Taylor invites him to dinner, unaware that Whitley was already coming. Whitley goes to see her shrink, and is surprised to find that the Taylors are the next appointment. Dr. Langhorne accepts a Christmas dinner invitation from the Taylors in order to avoid her pushy mother-in-law. She tries to mediate everyone's disputes, and gets Dwayne and Whitley to consider becoming friends again. Meanwhile, everyone scrambles to avoid getting stuck with a homemade fruitcake sent by Whitley's aunt.

One of Whitley's superiors continually makes unwanted sexual advances. When she turns down his dinner invitation, he suggests that he may not approve a purchase she had recommended. Whitley puts him in his place and decides not to file a complaint. Mr. Holtworth complains to his boss that Whitley has been sexually harassing him. Whitley cannot get a secretary to come forward, and a plan to catch Holtworth on videotape goes awry. Whitley mentions the peculiarity of Holtworth's frequent transfers, and suspects that her boss has heard rumors of the man's behavior. When pressed, Whitley's boss agrees to launch an investigation. Holtworth is found guilty and receives a warning. Terrence makes Col. Taylor uneasy by announcing his decision to major in dance. Col. Taylor attends a class, where he realizes that dance is much more difficult (and exhausting) than he had thought. He acknowledges that Terrence is a very good dancer. Ron takes a job as commercial spokesman for a phone sex hotline.

Whitley organizes a campus fundraiser and tries to wrangle donations from prominent business people. She hits it off with Byron Douglas III, a successful alumnus who owns a restaurant chain. He is impressed by her powers of persuasion, and asks her to assist with his campaign for state senate. Whitley and Dwayne quarrel after she belittles him in front of Byron. Mr. Gaines learns that he is about to lose the lease on the Pit because a corporation outbid him. Byron, a former Pit employee, uses his campaign rally to elicit support for Mr. Gaines. The corporation's representatives decide to seize the opportunity for positive publicity by underwriting Mr. Gaines' lease and letting him keep running the place. Whitley and Byron share a kiss.

Lena cannot keep her grades high enough to maintain her engineering scholarship. She writes an essay about her father for an English assignment. Professor Foster is so impressed that he enters her work in a contest. She wins the award and receives a journalism scholarship. Lena is mortified when her father shows up for the awards ceremony. He is not the Vietnam vet and former Black Panther she described in her essay, but rather a hustler who is constantly in debt. Mr. James approves of Lena's actions, as he feels that she was just doing what was necessary to survive. Lena fears that she is just like her father, but he states that she can choose her own path. She confesses to Professor Foster, who was already aware of her duplicity. He says that she is a good writer and helps her get an English scholarship. Whitley alienates one of Byron's potential benefactors by wearing a fur coat. She brushes up on the issues in the hopes of becoming an asset to Byron's campaign.

Gina's rapper boyfriend Dion (a.k.a. I'm Down) prepares to give a concert for his peers. He hires Ron as his promoter. Freddie reveals that she saw a man beating his girlfriend, but could not make out their faces in the darkness. She does not realize that the couple involved was Dion and Gina. He apologizes to Gina, but quickly flies off the handle and hits her again. Lena sees Gina's black eye and figures out what is going on. She decides that she cannot keep this a secret. Dion experiences a tremendous backlash from fellow students who are disgusted by his behavior. Ron quits his job and tries to fight Dion, who ignores Dwayne's recommendation that he seek counseling. Whitley urges Gina to get out of the relationship. Terrence calls the police on Dion and expresses disappointment in his one-time idol. Gina agrees to press charges.

In the final days before the election, the incumbent accuses Byron of fooling around with a stripper. He refuses to respond to the allegations, and challenges Sen. Hutchinson to a debate. Whitley and Ron talk to the stripper, who insists that she was in a hotel room with Byron. Byron is angry with Whitley for prying; he explains that his staff hired a birthday strip-o-gram for him. After Byron easily wins the debate, Sen. Hutchinson tries to start a scandal involving Whitley. Byron refuses to expose the senator's affair with his campaign manager, and tells Whitley that they can win honorably. Byron wins the election and asks Whitley to marry him. She eventually says yes, leaving Dwayne crestfallen. Jaleesa goes into labor and cannot get a hold of her husband. After Kim faints, Freddie and Ron have to handle the situation until the ambulance arrives. Jaleesa gives birth to a baby girl at home, and Freddie captures it on video.

The day before her wedding, Whitley frets about details until Byron is able to bring her back to reality. Kim volunteers to return to campus and retrieve a special pair of earrings that Whitley had left behind. She pays Ron a visit, and frets over the realization that the wedding is probably going to take place. Ron suggests that she intervene, but Kim is hesitant. Ron surprises Kim by giving her a stethoscope, and they share a kiss. The girls enjoy a wild bachelorette party, while a depressed Dwayne walks out on Byron's bachelor party. Late that night, Kim suggests that Whitley may not be completely over Dwayne. Whitley angrily denies this. Dwayne shows up on Whitley's doorstep and asks for the chance to talk with her. They take a walk in the garden, and Dwayne apologizes for the mistakes he has made. She concedes that she placed too much pressure on him, but Dwayne insists that he simply wasn't strong enough for a commitment at the time. He recalls a time when he was a geeky freshman

As she awakens on her wedding day, Whitley is so flustered by her conversation with Dwayne that she can barely remember where she is or the name of her future husband. Her mother chastises her for talking about Dwayne and emphasizes that Byron will give her a much better life. Dwayne decides that he cannot bring himself to attend the wedding. Whitley becomes extremely nervous as she awaits the beginning of the ceremony. Kim starts to give her some advice, but thinks better of it. Dwayne shows up in the middle of the ceremony, and Ron tries to convince him to break up the wedding. During her wedding vows, Whitley freezes up as she sees Dwayne's face everywhere. When she refuses to respond for over a minute, Dwayne realizes that she is far from certain about marrying Byron. He suddenly jumps up and charges down the aisle, pleading with her to marry him. Whitley accepts Dwayne's proposal and runs into his arms. Byron and his family are disgusted, but leave peacefully. The minister marries