In this Hard Stuff episode, Nigel Latta asks whether assumptions about the desirability of getting a university degree make sense. Latta quizzes Auckland University Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon about the upside of degrees, and compares his time as a university student in the 1980s with those in the 2000s, who face years of debt repayment in exchange for their qualifications. A degree is the "last" thing entrepreneur Ian Taylor looks for in job applicants; for composer Karl Steven, studying philosophy was its own reward. Latta also meets Julius Bloem, whose passion for cars earned him a house in his 20s.