Ronald's high-school valedictory address praises books and condemns sports. His girlfriend Mary condemns his attitude. Fearing to lose her to rival Jeff, he decides to go to college and pay more attentions to sports.
The Boy graduates from high school with interscholastic honors, and as class orator he speaks on "Brains vs. Brawn," demeaning athletics, thereby winning the favor of the pedagogs but not that of the students. His college sweetheart requires that he become an athlete, so he spends his savings and tries out for all sports and is a perfect flop. He goes to work to pay his way through school, but every job adds to his blunders. His rival takes delight in maneuvering The Girl to his place of employment and further humiliating him. Then the college dean takes an interest in The Boy and insists that the varsity coach give him a chance; through coincidence, he thwarts a plot against him and wins a race. Learning that his rival has locked The Girl in the dormitory, The Boy goes to the rescue, performing all the athletic feats he dreamed about, and knocks the rival cold; thus the weakling becomes the college idol.
Set in Southern California, the movie opens with Ronald (Buster Keaton) graduating high school as the schools most brilliant scholar. At his graduation Ronald speaks on the Curse of the Athlete in which he argues that books are more important that athletics. After Graduation Ronald decides to follow Mary (Anne Cornwall), the girl who rejected him because she loves athletes more than book worms, to Clayton which the dean (Snitz Edwards) describes as an athlete-infested college. While at Clayton, Ronald in an effort to impress Mary tries out and fails in the various sports. Eventually, the dean calls in Ronald to ask him why his grades are suffering. After Ronald explains the situation to the dean, the dean empathizes with Ronald and orders the Rowing coach (Carl Harbaugh) to make Ronald the coxswain in the upcoming competition. The coach reluctantly agrees but tries and fails to sabotage Ronald so he cannot compete. Meanwhile, Mary starts to appreciate Ronald's futile efforts to impress her. However, on the day of the competition Jeff (Harold Goodwin), Mary's jock boyfriend, gets kicked out of college and takes her hostage in her room in an effort to get her kicked out also so she can marry him. What will happen in the rowing competition? Will Ronald save Mary? You will have to watch the movie to find out the answers to these questions.
In Southern California, Ronald (Buster Keaton) graduates high school as its "most brilliant scholar." At his graduation, Ronald speaks on "the Curse of the Athlete," arguing that books are more important than athletics. His speech offends most of the student body, especially the popular athlete Jeff (Harold Goodwin), and causes Ronald's sweetheart Mary (Anne Cornwall) to reject him.
Ronald decides to follow Mary to Clayton, which the dean describes as an "athlete-infested college." Hoping to impress Mary, Ronald tries out for the baseball and track and field teams, but proves to be totally inept. At the same time, he attempts to work as a soda jerk and as a waiter in black-face while trying to keep these jobs a secret from Mary, who has started dating Jeff.
Eventually the dean (Snitz Edwards) asks Ronald why his grades are suffering. After Ronald explains the situation, the dean empathizes with him and orders the rowing crew coach (Carl Harbaugh) to make Ronald the coxswain in the upcoming competition. The coach tries to sabotage Ronald by slipping him a sleeping potion so he cannot compete, but the potion is accidentally consumed by the team's other coxswain instead. Despite Ronald capsizing the boat, pulling the rudder off mid-race, and causing collisions with other boats, the Clayton team wins the race anyway.
Meanwhile, Mary starts to appreciate Ronald's futile efforts to impress her. However, on the day of the boat race, Jeff gets kicked out of college and takes her hostage in her room, locking them in together in an effort to get her expelled so she will marry him. In the end, she manages to contact Ronald by telephone, who in a sudden show of athleticism sprints to her dormitory, pole vaults into her window, and fights off Jeff by throwing household objects at him and demonstrating skills in javelin, shot put, and tackle football. Mary agrees to marry Ronald and they live the rest of their lives together, ending with a shot of side-by-side gravestones.
