All students, at some point, face exam questions that baffle, mystify, or simply confound them. As bright and good-looking as Marriott School students are, we’ve discovered they are no exception. This is where creativity takes flight.
Some students make an educated guess and a few strive to overwhelm with a tsunami of words or numbers. But it’s the clever, unexpected response that brings a smile to the weary grader and occasionally wins the student a point or two. Here are some of the Marriott School’s “best” answers.
Q1:What’s the difference be-tween a broker and a dealer?
A: The broker is the one with no money.
It could be that this answer was the result of the student having been acquainted with a struggling broker. Or it could have been the result of careful word-based deduction. Of course, it could also be the result of one of professor Grant McQueen’s smart-aleck finance students who had no idea.
Q2:What evidence is there that the change effort was successful?
A: There was a change.
This was an attempt to answer an obhr quiz question from professor Kristin DeTienne. Although she didn’t think it was very creative, the student’s response did give us a laugh. And, let’s be honest, it’s a pretty logical answerespecially during a quiz.
Q3:Using the financial information above, identify which branch is struggling and explain why.
A: Which branch is struggling? Barranquilla is struggling.ABC save us!
On the toughest question of a final, one student appealed to accounting professor Monte Swain’s poetic side.
Q4:What is the definition of “debenture”?
A: A person who violently removes another person from a bench.
On this accounting question, professor Cassy Budd was hoping for “an unsecured bond or debt instrument not secured by a physical asset.” What she got instead, albeit clever, almost knocked her off her seat.
Q5:Name a link-building strategy.
A: Save Zelda.
Anyone who is a fan of the original Nintendo 8-bit system can appreciate this answer from an internet marketing final professor Jeff Larson gave. Maybe the student will spend future reading days at the library instead of clicking Continue, Save, or Quit.
Q6: What is the amount of costs of goods sold?
A: Purchases + accumulated depreciation.
There is a risk that only the hard-core accounting audience will find this nomination from professor Kay Stice amusing. But anyone who’s paying off his or her Christmas bills should be able to relate.
Q7: Please provide feedback on the course.
A: I never understood purchasing power parody.
In his international finance course, professor Brent Wilson teaches about purchasing power parity, which theorizes that foreign exchange rates change based on differences in inflation rates. Points for straight-up honesty?
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Article written by Todd Hollingshead
