On her day of graduation, Felicity asks a longtime high school crush, Ben, to sign her yearbook; after she reads his message, in which he says that he would have liked to have known her better, Felicity changes her lifelong college plans to follow Ben to a New York school. There, she meets her quirky (and smitten) resident advisor Noel and her first new friend Julie.

When Felicity learns a male called the admissions office requesting a copy of her application essay, she assumes it was Ben — the subject of said essay — and sends him a copy. Meanwhile, Felicity's parents pop up in New York again.

Felicity's parents arrive unexpectedly for Thanksgiving. She is afraid to tell them about all of the recent changes she has made in her life. The Porters, David and Professor Sherman all end up getting invited to dinner at Noel and Elena's apartment. Meghan shows up in the hopes of seeing everyone get into a fight. Felicity fears that David is becoming too serious about their relationship. Felicity and Noel get drunk from Professor Sherman's punch. They go to his room and reminisce about their kiss the previous Thanksgiving. Professor Sherman walks in on them kissing. An ugly scene develops, leaving Meghan delighted. Felicity breaks up with David. Javier recruits Ben, Julie and Sean to help him cater the Sherwoods' anniversary party. Maggie introduces her husband to Ben, ""the guy I've been sleeping with."" Ben realizes that Maggie was just using him to get back at her cheating husband. Sean and Julie console him as they dine on ""tofurkey."" Meghan forgets a promise to serve dinner to

Felicity and Ben are ordered to attend sessions with a counselor, who will help determine their punishment. Ben doesn't show up because he thinks the whole thing is stupid. Felicity gets caught in the middle of her parents' bickering when her mother comes for a visit. She learns that her mother married so young because she was pregnant with Felicity. Felicity blames herself for forcing her mother to give up all her dreams. She seriously considers Ben's suggestion that they chuck everything and take a trip to Vienna. Noel struggles to make up with Ruby after an argument. She reveals the real reason that she is upset: she may be pregnant. Elena gets a ""sexy new lab partner."" She fears that he will distract her from her studies.

As the spring semester begins, Lauren tells Ben that she is pregnant, and that he is the father. She is prepared to raise the child alone. Professor Hodges asks Ben and Trevor to act as research assistants for him. Trevor convinces Ben to take a paternity test. Ben becomes distracted while awaiting the test results, and forgets to check Hodges' experiment. Hodges decides to replace him. Ben learns that he is the father. He confronts Lauren about keeping the news from him for so long. Although he is torn, he feels that he cannot take part in the child's life. He gets a second chance from Hodges by assuring him that he has eliminated all distractions. Ben finally shares the truth about the pregnancy with a shocked Felicity. Felicity and Owen try unsuccessfully to get galleries to look at their work. Felicity's mother visits and announces that she is going to get her real-estate license. She encourages Felicity to follow the same path. Felicity frets over the fact that every