Leaked figures show the average student in Germany still takes around four years to complete a bachelor’s degree, suggesting controversial reforms to higher education have so far failed to cut down the number of Germany’s perpetual students. Reforms to reduce degree times have not yet cut down on numbers of so-called “Dauerstudenten”—eternal students who can take up to six years for their undergraduate degree before embarking on a lengthy master's course. Under the old German system, students were allowed to take semesters off to work, earn cash, travel, do work experience placements or study abroad. This led to lengthy degrees...