How much money do the graduating students spend?

Nowadays, the graduating students are spending too much money on their ‘Bell Day’ celebration. It’s very shocking to find out how much money these students are expected to spend on in Mongolia.

According to research of university’s students, the costs, for the less well-off students, run to about Tg300,000 (nearly US $300), which is close to three times the minimum wage and well over the average salary of a professional working person. As most students are still financially dependent on their parents, this is an enormous expenditure.

An expensive new deel (traditional garment), the new jewelry and party-clothes, the excursion by bus to famous sites around the city, giving gift to school or teacher and the three-day party in the countryside make up most of the costs.

Although some more sensible students find the expense unwarranted, they are under extreme pressure to participate in the long festivities, fearing exclusion from the class circle if they do not conform.
Time to celebrate with classmates at the end of one's university studies is certainly important; the three days of drinking and dancing at a camp in the countryside are not. The result is a hang-over and a large hole in the pocket of those for whom the tuition itself had been a major expense. Pressure on graduating students to spend a year's tuition on a 3-day bash is short-sighted. Perhaps the student committees at the universities could suggest more sensible and simplified festivities and thus reduce the costs. I am sure that many students would welcome a change.



D.Ganjiguur