A group of American exchange students spend a year studying in Paris at the fictional Institute of French Studies, run by Madame Catherine Tessier and her husband Monsieur Tessier. Student Laura spends much of her time alone, visiting museums and art galleries and regularly sending postcards to her boyfriend back home who declined the opportunity to join her. Alex's interests are not so much in studying but more in love and life in Paris, and he becomes involved in a tryst with his teacher and the Institute's co-director Madame Tessier. Joel struggles with indecisiveness, which complicates matters when he falls in love with Toni, a local bookstore employee.
