Celebrate the Journey, Not the Price Tag 

Li Mengfei 

A 39-year-old Chinese podcast host

Graduation is an exciting and unforgettable milestone for anyone completing their academic journey, especially for today’s young people. 

In Beijing, particularly during June and July, schools across the city hold graduation ceremonies one after another, while proud parents gather to celebrate this important moment with their children. 

For most graduates, the ceremony marks not only the end of their studies, but also the beginning of a new chapter. Some will continue their education, while others will enter the workforce. As graduation season has become increasingly commercialised in recent years, however, businesses have seized the opportunity to market commemorative gifts, graduation packages and elaborate celebration services. 

There is nothing wrong with celebrating such an achievement. After years of dedication and perseverance, graduates deserve recognition for their hard work. Whether completing an undergraduate degree, a master’s programme or a doctorate, they have invested significant time and effort in reaching this milestone. 

The problem arises when commercial interests begin to overshadow the meaning of graduation itself. Graduation is more than a celebration or a shopping occasion. It marks a transition into a new stage of life, one that brings greater independence and responsibility. Yet the growing emphasis on expensive gifts, luxury banquets and elaborate ceremonies risks shifting attention away from that purpose. 

This raises important questions. Does increasingly lavish spending place unnecessary pressure on graduates and their families? Does it create unrealistic expectations about what graduation should look like? These are worth asking as commerce continues to shape the occasion. 

Graduation is, above all, a personal milestone. Its greatest value lies not in expensive presents or extravagant celebrations, but in recognising personal growth and preparing for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. 

Celebrating graduation is meaningful, but preserving its original significance is even more important. As young people embark on the next stage of life, the memories they carry should be shaped less by how much was spent and more by the confidence, resilience and sense of purpose they take with them. 

Graduation Should Not Cost Us a Fortune 

Jean d’Amour Mbonyinshuti 

A 39-year-old Rwandan media and communications professional

Graduation is one of life’s most meaningful milestones. It marks the end of years of sacrifice and the start of a new chapter, and it deserves to be celebrated. The real question is not whether we should celebrate, but how much we should spend doing so. 

I have every reason to think about this now. Three years ago, I decided to return to school for a master’s degree, a journey that meant financial sacrifice, countless sleepless nights and long hours balancing work with study. I will soon graduate. When a colleague, who is also my classmate, joked that we could simply share a meal instead of throwing a big event, it made me reflect on what graduation has become. 

Across Rwanda, graduation ceremonies have turned into expensive social events, whether for a child finishing primary school or a student earning a degree. New clothes, professional photographs, rented venues, catering and gifts are now treated as standard. This is not unique to Rwanda. In China, retailers market phones and laptops to graduates after the National College Entrance Examination, travel companies sell graduation trips, and social media influencers post “graduation must-haves” that make costly celebrations look normal, even necessary. 

There is nothing wrong with marking success. The problem arises when spending is driven by social pressure rather than need. Parents who have already paid school fees find themselves spending more on a single day, and some graduates start the next chapter having used money that could have gone towards job hunting or a new business. 

Education should teach financial wisdom as much as anything else. The knowledge gained over years should not be overshadowed by a few hours of extravagance. 

I will celebrate my own graduation modestly. A family gathering or a quiet meal with close friends is enough. Graduation is a milestone, not a destination, and money spent trying to impress others could instead build the future we worked so hard for. 

The value of a degree lies in the knowledge and opportunities it creates, not the cost of the party that follows.