Create eSignature Presentation Myself

I have had the opportunity of giving 'THE UPSC INTERVIEW' twice, one in 2016 and other in 2017. Both the time I had the same board headed by former Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsale.I was awarded pretty good scores both the times, 184 (in 2016) and 187 (in 2017) :)Before I answer what happens in UPSC interview, let me break some myths.MYTHSInterview questions are not like the whatsapp forwards you recieve. Example : How to throw egg from a building without breaking it?Interview is not a system of rejection or acceptance. It is just a part of whole process , your written marks are added in your interview score to determine your rank. So you may have high written score but low interview marks can mar your chances of rank and vice versa.Interview is not a test of your knowledge. Knowledge has already been tested in written examination. Interview is test of your personality and confidence. Obviously questions are asked to test your confidence but if you don't know the answer you can say “I don't know sir/ma'am” confidently instead of bluffing. You have to be truely honest.Some interview boards are dreaded due to myth that they give low marks but I think every board has its range of marks( Bhonsale Sir board is dreaded but he awarded me good marks both the times). It is just that every board chairman has probably different parameters and ways of testing you. For example : Ajit Bhonsale sir will make you really comfortable but sometimes when you become very comfortable you let yourself loose and commit blunders. On other hand B.S. Bassi sir is very strict ( I have heard) , puts in you in spot for the first few minutes. His strategy is maybe to check you during tough times.UPSC interview is not like a roadies audition. All the members of the board are highly cordial.BEFORE UPSC INTERVIEWNight before the interview is really tough. There are butterflies in your stomach. There is soo much going on in your head that sleeping becomes a task.On the day of interview it becomes quite a task for us girls because we have to tie a saree. My mom was with me so she helped me with that but handling the saree gracefully is your task. I want to tell you that I wore the same green colour saree for both my interviews because after my first interview I thought it was lucky for me :)2016 interview2017 interview ( 5 kg lighter!!)Once you signNow UPSC office on Shahjahan road , you are made to stand in a line outside the gate for verification by showing summon letters. For me this moment for the first time was in 2016 and it was really mesmerizing. I was like Aamir Khan ’s character in “3idiots” movie where he couldnt stop smiling because it felt like a dream.After all verification candidates are made to sit in a room for document verification. There are 6 tables with 6 candidates each. All the 6 candidates on one table go to same interview board. After document checking candidates are moved to a central hall. Here we are finally told which board we are assigned.Candidates are called one by one for the interview and headed towards respective members 's rooms. A candidate is called 5 minutes before the previous candidates 's interview is over. So you are made to sit outside the interview room. This is the most unnerving moment. My strategy used to be: to sit and gaze around so that I don't think about the impending interview and calming myself in the process. And finally after few minutes the peon asks you to GO INSIDE!!DURING THE INTERVIEWHere I will narrate my 2017 CSE interview held on 24 th April 2018:I entered the room I wished everyone good afternoon ( it was around 1:30 pm ). I was asked to take seat. The interview board had chairman (Air Marshal Ajit Bhonsale Sir in my case) and 4 other members seated around a table. There was a member seating very close to me and watching my every action, most probably he was psychoanalysist or something like that.So finally the interview started :CHAIRMANChairman : Shilpa sit down. Feel comfortable. Take a deep breath. I see a young and smart lady in front of me who has a very good academic background. Are you nervous?Me: No sir ( I smiled)CHAIRMAN : Ok then we will start with the interview.Which areas you are expecting that we would ask from DAF ( detailed application form , it is like a CV which contains information about you, your qualification, your hobbies etc).Me: Sir about my graduation i.e. BDS , my birthplace Chandigarh and hobbiesChairman : What do you derive from making greeting cards? ( Apart from reading , teaching/ mentoring , I mentioned “making handmade greeting cards” as my hobby in DAF)Me: Sir, it is a form of creative expression for me which gives me immense pleasure.Chairman : Ok shilpa.MEMBER 1M1 : What are your views on death sentence for rape accused in case victim is below 12 years? Accused are generally known to victim in cases of child abuse cases.Me : Sir ,you are right. NCRB records state that in child sexual abuse cases 94% of accused are known to victim. This may lead to non reporting or victim turning hostile due to pressure from family.Secondly, death penalty is not a deterrent. It has been proven from many reports.Thirdly , now rape and murder have same punishment so now the rapist will not leave his victim alive .(M1 : good point Dr. Shilpa)M1 : Have you heard about euthanasia? What is the recent SC judgement.Me: Euthanasia in common terms means mercy killing. It is of two types : active and passive euthanasia. Recently SC has allowed passive euthanasia in case patient is in permanent vegetative state.M1: Who decides it is time for euthanasia?Me: Sir , It consists of three layered mechanism . A mechanism for living will has been given which is accessed by the doctor. If he feels that there is need for go ahead the permission is send to a special medical board which consists of four specialists. After approval it is forwarded to district collector.M1: What is living will?Me: It is a directive by a patient that in due course of his treatment if stops responding to treatment or is in permanent vegetative state he be considered for passive euthanasia.MEMBER 2M2 : Comment on our relations with our neighbours with respect to Bangladesh , Nepal.Me: Sir , Neighbourhood first policy has been major component of our foreign policy.Good relations with Bangladesh for example recently land boundary agreement was signed very amicably. There is just one irritant in form of teesta water treaty.Nepal we have historical and cultural ties. 'BETI AND ROTI' ka rishta. A buffer state. But due to unprecedented foray of China into south asia and Nepal playing China card due to its domestic compulsions , relations have taken toll right now.( I wanted to summarize but M2 said ok shilpa fine)M2 : Chinese president XI Xingping and PM modi will be meeting recently. Where?ME: Sir there will be an informal meeting in City of Wuhan , China. Here wide array of issues will be discussed.M2 : China is saying it will be sharing data on satluj river. What is that?ME: Sir basically hydrological data. Water levels and dams to be constructed.M2: Sociolgists are better administrators. Why? (Sociology is my optional subject)ME: Sir, it is basically study of social groups , social institutions and their dynamics. And as civil servant you are basically dealing with these institutions and groups. For eg : as a sociologist one knows laws decide where society SHOULD GO but Societal norms decide where society actually GOES. It serves a great value as a civil servant.MEMBER 3M3 : Dr. Bhatti you were talking about China right now. How are we same ?How does it poses a danger how India is responding? Can we learn something from China?( it was a long question so I broke it into parts)Me: China and India are same with respect to thriving economies. China is second largest economy in terms of nominal GDP and India is 7th.Both are populous nations with huge human capital potential.Dangers : China 's unprecedented foray into South Asia. Increasing footprint in Indian ocean.Learn from China: China has emerged as workshop of world. Its manufacturing sectors contributes around 34% to its GDP where India its just 17% ( Member said good Dr.Bhatti)MEMBER 4M4 : Social media is turning a place for spreading wrong news and all ( long lecture) . How to address this?Me: Sir in the post truth era social media is turning into menance where fake news are being spread. (M4 interuppts)M4 : You used word post truth. Very interesting word. What is that?Me: Sir it is an era where facts are considered less and beliefs and emotions shape the public opinion.M4 : Very good Shilpa. Continue with your answer. How to address?Me: Sir we can address first at legal level. For eg : EU has .......( M4 interuppts.)M4: Shilpa talk at a more local level. Like you are Chandigarh DC.Me: Sir first we can use social media itself. These days every administration has official twitter , FB accounts. From this we can give correct info n allay fears.Secondly in Chandigarh during Ram Rahim case SMS were sent as precaution. We can use this platformThirdly , involving civil society to create awareness to not accept any news at face value before confirming it from standard source.M4 : Did you choose Medical field by choice ? You are no longer pursuing it?Me: Sir , Civil services was always on my mind but idea wasn't very concrete at that time. I choose medical field because of my love for science and I have always performed good in academics.Also while working as a dentist I realized that civil services gives much larger platform to bring a change plus job diversity it offers is unparallelled.CHAIRMANCHAIRMAN : Tell me where woman bureaucrats or officers in general can be of great help?Me : Sir , in police administration for example if the cutting edge officers or bureaucrats in general are woman we can make our police services more gender sensitive.Chairman : yes ok. Continue.Me: Sir I cant think of other areas right now.(Chairman smiled and said ok)CHAIRMAN : Ok Shilpa tell me one last question before we go for lunch. You have heard about tussle between delhi chief secretary and chief minister?Me: yes sir.CHAIRMAN : So now bureaucrats blame its ministers who hamper work and politician blame bureaucrats. What to do?Me: Sir the permanent executive and the elected executive has work in tandem.CHAIRMAN : Yes tell me solution?Me: Following SOP and due process of law.Secondly, Sir transperant administration. Egovernance to cut down bureaucratic red tapism and also ensuring the executive is pro active in various people centric schemes or policies.Thirdly , we can have informal meetings in form of ‘chintin shivirs' or organising sports events for breaking the ice and acting as confidence building measures.CHAIRMAN : Ok Shilpa your interview is over. So now you will go back to Chandigarh or stay back.Me: Sir I will stay back for medical and leave on 26th.Chairman : Ok. Thank you Shilpa.Me: Thank you Sir. ( I thanked other member too)Interview lasted around 25 minutes. Members were extremely cordial and I had a feeling that it went well.And I got a good score of 187 :) I was able to secure 712 rank UPSC CSE 2017 and currently Iam preparing for rank improvement :)I hope this answer conveyed what happens in UPSC interview :)

Cracked versions of software are created with the use of debuggers. (A debugger is a special type of software that lets programmers deconstruct their software into its constituent parts for the purpose of finding bugs, and thus de-bugging. Additionally debuggers can be used for reverse-engineering, or to see what is inside the software, to learn its logic. The latter method is used mostly by malware researchers to study what malware (or computer viruses) do on-the-inside. But it can be also used by an attacker to "crack" (or bypass) legal software registration, or at times, to alter normal behavior of software, for instance by injecting a malicious code into it.)For the sake of this example, I will assume that the software that is being "cracked" was compiled into a native code, and is not a .NET or a JavaScript based application. (Otherwise it will be somewhat trivial to view its source code.) The compiled native code is a bit more tricky "beast" to study. (Native means that the code executes directly by the CPU, GPU, or other hardware.)So let's assume that the goal of an attacker is to bypass the registration logic in the software so that he or she doesn't have to pay for it. (Later for lolz, he or she may also post such "crack" on some shady online forum or on a torrent site so that others can "use" it too and give him or her their appreciation.)For simplicity let's assume that the original logic that was checking for the software registration was written in C++ and was something similar to the following code snippet:In this code sample "RegistrationName" and "RegistrationCode" are special strings of text that a legitimate software user will receive after paying for the license. (The name is usually that person's actual name or their email address, and the code is some string of unique/special characters that is tied to the name.)In the logic above, the function named "isRegistrationCodeGood()" will check if "RegistrationName" and "RegistrationCode" are accepted using some proprietary method. If they are, it will return true. Otherwise false. That outcode will dictate which branch (or scope) the execution will follow.So the logic above will either show that registration failed and quit:Or, if the registration code and name matched, it will save the registration details in persistent storage (such as the File System or System Registry) using the function named "rememberRegistrationParameters()" and then display the message thanking the user for registering:A "cracker" will obviously want to achieve the second result for any registration code that he or she enters. But they have a problem. They do not have the C++ source code, part of which I showed above. (I hope not!)So the only recourse for an attacker is to disassemble the binary code (that always ships with software in the form of .exe and .dll files on Windows, and mostly as Unix executables inside the .app packages on a Mac.) An attacker will then use a debugger to study the binary code and try to locate the registration logic that I singled out above.Next you can see the flowchart for a snippet of code that I showed in C++, presented via a low-level debugger. Or, as the code will be read in the binary form after compilation:(For readability I added comments on the right with the names of functions and variables. They will not be present in the code that an attacker could see.)(To understand what is shown above an attacker will have to have good knowledge of the Assembly language instructions for the native code.)I also need to point out that having a disassembly snippet like the one above is the final result for an attacker. The main difficulty for him or her is to locate it among millions and millions of other similar lines of code. And that is their main challenge. Not many people can do it and that is why software "cracking" is a special skill.So having found the code snippet above in the software binary file a "cracker" has two choices:1) Modify (or patch) the binary.2) Reverse-engineer the "isRegistrationCodeGood()" function and copy its logic to create what is known as a "KeyGen" or "Key Generator."Let's review both:The first choice is quite straightforward. Since an attacker got this far, he or she knows the Intel x64 Instruction Set quite well. So they simply change the conditional jump from "jnz short loc_7FF645671430" at the address 00007FF645671418 (circled in red in the screenshots) to unconditional jump, or "jmp short loc_7FF645671430". This will effectively remove any failed registration code entries and anything that the user types in will be accepted as a valid registration.Also note that this modification can be achieved by changing just one byte in the binary code from 0x75 to 0xEB:But this approach comes with a "price" of modifying the original binary file. For that an attacker needs to write his own "patcher" (or a small executable that will apply the modification that I described above.) The downside of this approach for an attacker is that patching an original executable file will break its digital signature, which may alert the end-user or the vendor. Additionally the "patcher" executable made by an attacker can be easily flagged and blocked by the end-user's antivirus software, or lead criminal investigators to the identity of the attacker.The second choice is a little bit more tricky. An attacker will have to study "isRegistrationCodeGood()" function and copy it into his own small program that will effectively duplicate the logic implemented in the original software and let him generate the registration code from any name, thus giving any unscrupulous user of that software an ability to register it without making a payment.Vendors of many major software products understand the potential impact of the second method and try to prevent it by requiring what is known as "authentication." This is basically a second step after registration, where the software submits registration name to the company's web server that returns a response back to the software of whether the code was legitimate or not. This is done by Microsoft when you purchase Windows (they call it "Activate Windows") and also by signNow, and many other companies. This second step may be done behind-the-scenes on the background while the software is running, and will usually lead to cancellation of prior registration if it was obtained illegally.So now you know how software is "cracked".Let me answer why it is not possible to prevent it. It all boils down to the fact that any software code needs to be read either by CPU (in case of a binary native code) or by an interpreter or a JIT compiler (in case of JavaScript or .NET code.) This means that if there's a way to read/interpret something, no matter how complex or convoluted it is, an attacker with enough knowledge and persistence will be able to read it as well, and thus break it.There is an argument though that cloud-based software is more secure, which is true, since its (binary) code remains on the server and end-users do not have direct access to it. And even though cloud-based software is definitely the future, it has some major drawbacks that will never allow it to fully replace your conventional software. To name just a few:Not everyone has an internet connection, or is willing to upload their data online. Additionally someone’s internet connection can be very expensive or too slow to make the software run very laggy.Then there’s a question of distributed computing. For instance, Blizzard Entertainment would never make “World of Warcraft” to fully run on their servers due to immense computational resources needed to render every single scene for every player they have. Thus it is in their best interest to let each individual user’s computer to do the rendering instead.As a software developer myself, I obviously don't like when people steal software licenses. But I have to accept it and live with it. The good news is that there are not that many people who are willing to go extra mile and search for a cracked version of software. The main problem for those who do, is that by downloading a patched executable, or an attacker's KeyGen or a Patcher, they are effectively "trusting" him or her not to put anything "nasty" into it that was not "advertised on the package" (stuff like trojans, malware, or keyloggers.) So the question for those people becomes -- is it worth the cost of the software license to potentially infect your system with a nasty virus?On the other side of the equation, some developers react very negatively to any attempts to steal their software licenses. (I was there too.) They try to implement all kinds of countermeasures -- anything from tricking reverse-engineers, to adding booby traps in the code that may do something nasty if the code detects that it is being debugged, to obfuscating or scrambling the code, to enforcing all kinds of convoluted DRM schemes, to blocking users from certain countries. I personally try to stay away from all of those measures. And here's why:A) Any kind of anti-reverse-engineering tactics could be bypassed by an attacker with enough persistence. So why bother and waste my time when I can invest that time into adding something useful to my software that will make it more productive for legitimate users?B) Some code packers could create false positives with antivirus software, which is obviously not good for marketing of that software. It also creates unnecessary complexity for the developer to debug the software.C) Adding booby traps in the code can also “misfire” on your legitimate users, which will really infuriate them and can even lead to lawsuits.D) Any DRM scheme will probably catch some 100 illegal users and greatly inconvenience 10,000 legitimate ones. So why do it to your good customers?E) Our statistics show that about 75% of all illegal licenses come from China, Russia, Brazil, to name the worst offenders. (I also understand that the reason may be much lower incomes that people have in those countries.) The main issue for us though was the fact that if we enforce our DRM or add some strong registration authentication, many people that wanted to bypass our registration would simply use a stolen credit card number. And we had no control over it. Our system will use it to send them a legitimate license only to have the payment bounce in weeks time. As a result we would lose the money that were paid for the license, plus the credit card company will impose an additional chargeback fee to our account, which may range from $0.25 to $20 per bad purchase on top of the license cost.F) As was pointed out in the comments, some companies may actually benefit from allowing pirated copies of their software. Microsoft for instance gets a lot of free publicity from people using their Windows OS, the same goes for signNow with their Photoshop. That is a good point that I agree with.So my philosophy is now this -- if someone wants to go extra mile and steal our software, go for it! They went this far to do it anyway, so they probably have a good reason. On the positive side there are so many other customers that appreciate the work that goes into creating software that greatly outnumber those that don’t.PS. Thank you for all your feedback! It makes me feel good that the knowledge I shared is useful to others.

There are several factors that go into this, there are pros and cons to both systems, to a military planner the pros of the rail gun out weigh it’s cons. Only time will prove if they are right or not but I will try to explain.Defensive Vs Offensive load, There is only limited launcher space on any ship regardless of how many missiles it has in storage. So lets say you have 20 launchers in your ship, vertical launchers are becoming the norm. Even though you have 100 more missiles of whatever mix you want in the hold, your 20 launchers have what they have in them and it will take time to swap them out. (Hopefully some USN personnel on here who have served on a DDG or similar can let us know how long) I’m guessing at least an hour. Some missiles can be dual use like an anti-missile-Missile can be used in the anti aircraft role, but a Tomahawk or any land attack missile simply cannot. Every tube you have filled with a missile to perform your mission is a missile you cannot use for defense, every missile you have loaded for defense, can’t be used for your mission.The rail gun uses a solid mass of metal, you can use it to devastating effect against air, sea, or land targets without worrying about carrying different loads. I imagine a flechette round would be used against missiles and aircraft, but it doesn’t matter, you can switch ammo types in seconds.With railguns as point defense, you are free to have the majority of your missile tubes loaded for the mission and only a minimum with defensive (AA or AM) missiles.Immunity to counter measures: The railgun is a line of sight weapon, if you can see it, you can hit it. Once radar contact is made and the gun aligned, powerful optics will be used to line up the final shot. at 2.4 kilometers+ a second- nothing can really affect or stop the projectile. If the shot is lined up properly, the target is dead, no amount of chaff flares or ecm can do anything once the projectile leaves the rail.Cost. The Major cost of the system is in the gun and the guidance and aiming systems require only maintenance when bought, The Projectile is just a hunk of machined metal, I imagine the ship’s machine shop will have the ability to fabricate more in an emergency. No propellant needed (more on that later) A missile has to have a warhead, a motor, navigation and avionics which is all one time use, the launching and guidance on the ship are not cheap either so while the up front cost of the railgun will be higher, that changes quickly after a few shots.Safety. That warhead and rocket/jet fuel in a missile infinitely more deadly to you before you launch as it is to the enemy. Anything that touches off that magazine (accidents, malfunctions, enemy fire) will likely be catastrophic. The inert projectiles of a railgun are immune to that. The rail-gun itself if charged might pose a small danger if damaged while charged, but that will be like a transformer box blowing up outside during a storm (happened to me when I was a kid during a hurricane) While it was loud and scary to 11 year old me 20 meters from my house, it did zero damage to the house and didn’t even knockdown the telephone pole it was on, Had that been a modern AA-or AM missile 20 meters away, I and my house would likely not be here today.Close in defense: You can use the rail gun up to the point an enemy missile hits your ship. A vertically launched missile needs to clear the ship arc towards its target and fly towards it. This all takes time meaning that depending on the speed of the incoming missile, you have a radius where if you haven’t launched yet, there is nothing you can do. So let’s say you have a ship with a rail gun and one with only missiles. Both are engaged by missiles with a 4 second flight time. It takes 2 seconds to identify and track the target and come up with a firing solution(I have no idea how long it really takes but I’m pretty sure the human reaction time to authorize the launch of a $500,000 missile is more than that). the 2 seconds remaining are not enough, the missile will just be clear of it’s tubes and arcing when your ship gets hit. The rail gun ship still has time to get one or two shots off, Even if it hits the Missile right outside the hull, that is preferable to having it go off INSIDE your hull.Like I said before, having the rail gun doesn’t stop you from carrying defensive missiles for BVR/Over the Horizon, engagements.

"Backlinks," meaning sites that link to your site, are, for most search engines, the supreme ranking factor. So is getting more organic traffic.read this article to knowGenerating quality backlinks can be hard work, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are 25 ways to build (or earn) backlinks.1. INTERNAL BACKLINKSIn our introduction above, we mentioned that backlinks are the term best associated with external links to your site and pages, but internal links also match the term. All backlinks contribute to the way search engines interact with your website because they help the site crawlers used to develop and update search engine indexes understand how your content relates to content on other websites.Internal links contribute to developing a great user experience because visitors can easily navigate your site and find relevant articles that add to or match the page they’re already viewing. This is paramount in SEO because it allows you to retain visitors: instead of typing in another search query to find additional, relevant information, you’re providing a means for them to find it on your site.One of the most common ways this will play to your advantage is if your content contains technical terms relevant to your industry. You want readers to understand your writing, but adding a definition to the first instance of every technical term makes for a messy content structure.That’s why you’ve got another page going into detail on that term because it’s relevant to your industry and your target market. Turning the first instance of a technical term on your page into anchor text containing an internal backlink to the definitions page, you ensure that your readers have everything they need right at hand.Be careful not to overload your pages with internal links, though. A good rule of thumb is to keep backlinks per page down to below 100, and you want to include external links to the count (you’ll see why in a bit).2. GUEST POSTINGIt may sound like you’ll just be helping another site build their resources and generate more views for themselves, but this is very much a case of helping each other out. After all, guest posting is very different from ghostwriting. As a ghostwriter, you get no credit for the content whatsoever. But every guest post is entirely credited to the writer, not the hosting site.Of course, this does help the host site to generate views, but that’s okay for the guest writer because more often than not it includes a backlink to your site. Guest posting is one of those cases where it’s not only about generating a backlink to improve your search engine index ranking for SERPs, which shouldn’t be your only focus at all. This is a great way of getting your name out there, making your content available to new readers and winning increased online visibility. Guest posting, most especially for authoritative sites in your industry, builds your reputation online in a big, big way.But it can take a long time to find opportunities to create guest posts if you go about it the wrong way. One sure means of discovering fresh, relevant opportunities is to make use of sites like Twitter. By using the search function, you can quickly find authoritative sites that are looking for guest post contributors on a regular basis. Just type “your niche” + guest post (for example “SEO” + guest post) and scan the results for new opportunities.3. HELP A REPORTER OUT (HARO)Help A Reporter Out (HARO) is a fantastic online resource for generating backlinks on authoritative news sites. All you need to do is sign up as a source, which takes less than a minute to do, and you’ll get three emails a day every Monday through Friday (at 05h35, 12h35, and 17h35 ET). These are the source requests, which is a list of articles that reporters need information for.Each one includes a summary (usually the intended headline for the article), the topic category, and the email address of the journalist (which is where you’ll be sending the information to). It will also include the name of the site where the article will be published, the reporter’s deadline, and a description detailing what kind of information they need.Of course, you’re not going to be able to contribute to every single query. For one thing, there can be over a hundred per email you receive, and not all of them are going to be relevant to your industry. All you have to do is scan through the list to find ones covering your area, and then send a contribution pitch to the reporter’s masked email!In your pitch, you’re going to include your answer to the journalist’s query and your contact information—which can include a link to your site.You’re not guaranteed to get a backlink from every single HARO query you answer because the journalist might not use the information you provide. After all, he/she is going to be receiving many responses, and some may be more relevant than others. But more often than not, you’ll be rewarded with a backlink on a high-ranking site.4. BLOG AND FORUM COMMENTSEverybody finds themselves turning to the blogs they follow for information, but sometimes readers want or need something more than what the post has to offer. This is where you step in. Find blogs that cover your industry, whether directly or by posting on some of the products and (or) services that form part of your own, and start following them. There are a lot of reasons for you to do so, and we’ll talk more about them later on in this article, but one of the easiest ways doing so can help you build backlinks is by going through the comment section.Many bloggers (and we’re including vloggers on sites like YouTube) often invite their readers to ask questions or add their opinions, stories, and ideas in the comment section. Questions are often responded to by the original poster themselves, and most bloggers will try to answer to every comment, but often some of the best answers come from other readers. And this is where you step in.First off, if you notice there’s information missing or that isn’t covered very well in the post, you can make a suggestive comment providing that information. And by reading through other readers’ questions, you can also find opportunities to provide answers.Sometimes, you’ll find that the answer another reader is looking for is too long to post as a comment. Use these opportunities to provide a summarized answer, and end with a link to your article.Another place the public turns to are forums such as Yahoo Answers and Google Groups, as well as industry (or even product) specific options. These offer much the same opportunity as the blog comment section does.5. TESTIMONIALSAll companies, big and small, love showing off the testimonials they’ve received from their clients. In fact, you’ll notice that most business sites showcase a few select testimonials on their homepage, and a few have whole pages dedicated to customer reviews (which always have a link on the homepage—usually something like “customer success stories”). Here’s an example of what a testimonial page looks like.So how do you turn this into an easy method for earning quality backlinks for your site? The first step is to sit down and make a list of products and services you’ve used recently. A good rule of thumb is to think of those you’ve used regularly (or started using) over the past six months. This can take some time, and will likely be an ongoing process, but it’s by far the longest part of this method.Next, you’ll want to see whether or not their sites have a testimonial page. If they do, spend a few moments writing up a short, positive review of your experience using the product or service, and signNow out to them. Most sites have a feedback feature or will include an email account for testimonials on their contact page.And that’s it! You won’t even have to ask for a link because almost every single time they’ll include it automatically—just to prove that you’re a real person. Be sure to mention that they’re allowed to use your testimonial on their homepage, as that’s where your link will get the most exposure.6. BLOGGER REVIEWSTestimonials on other sites are an excellent way to generate backlinks, but there’s also an equally good option that allows for testimonials on your product or service to be a backlink source to your site.How so? By offering it to bloggers in your industry free of charge. While this isn’t exactly a free means of building backlinks, the cost is very minimal, and the results should pay for themselves rather quickly.So what you want to do is search for bloggers who do provide some reviews for products and services in your industry. Narrow the results down to the most official ones before moving onto the next step.This is where you want to make an offer. Follow this guide:Start off with a friendly greeting, and mention that you were looking for articles on your topic when you found their post. Compliment them on their content, and then let them know that you provide a product or service that matches the subject. Mention what you usually charge, and then say that you’d like to offer it to them free of charge. All you’d like in return is for them to consider making a mention of your business on their blog or possibly do a review.If they’re interested, they’ll get back to you. One thing you should be aware of is that this method isn’t guaranteed to work every single time because you can’t force the bloggers to write a positive review—you’re signNowing out to them in good faith. You want to be very careful in the way you contact them as well because explicitly asking for a link (or even a review) is a violation of Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.7. THE MOVING MAN METHODThe Moving Man Method is one of the easiest ways to build high-quality backlinks to your website from authoritative sources. Sometimes, a big name company or service provider goes out of business. This process can happen for any number of reasons, including internal politics or bad management. Sometimes the company name is linked to the founder, and the business shuts down after they retire or pass away.While they were operational, however, they provided quality content on their site, which generated a lot of backlinks from other websites. Usually, these sites are shut down as well, and the domain name isn’t renewed, but some companies (primarily recognized leading experts) have registered their domain names a couple of years in advance. When the business goes bust, the site remains online, but usually, the content will be removed. This means that the backlinks they’ve built will still work, but will direct users to blank pages.At other times, the site content remains online but is no longer being updated.To find examples, you’ll need to find authoritative sites that contain a lot of links to other pages. Using Domain Hunter Plus, you can see which of these links lead to sites that load blank pages. Next, you’ll use a program like Ahrefs to download a list of all the backlinks pointing to that site.This is where you start generating backlinks to your site. If you’ve got content that caters to the same demand that the defunct site used to, you can signNow out to the sites containing backlinks to them and let them know that the link is no longer operating correctly because the other site has been taken down. Offer them a resource on your site as a replacement, and chances are very likely that you’ll be awarded a quality backlink.8. BROKEN LINKSThis technique is very similar to the Moving Man Method, except instead of looking for links that are old or blank pages you’re looking for links that give a 404 error. If you’ve spent any time on the internet at all, the chances are high that you’ve come across a 404 error a couple of times at least. When a site has been taken down entirely, existing backlinks on other sites will result in a 404 error. We call these “broken links”—and they’re bad news for SEO on the site hosting them.Once again, you’ll want to find resource pages for your industry and check them for broken links. We don’t expect you to click every link in the hopes of finding one—just use a browser extension like Check My Links for Chrome. Broken links will be highlighted in red, making them easy to find at a glance.Your next move is the same as with the Moving Man Method. You’re going to send the resource page site owner an email to notify them of the broken link, making sure to tell them exactly what the broken URL is as well as where on their page the link is found. To do so, you may want to include the anchor text they’ve used, as well as the URL for the page containing the broken link.Once again, you’ll inform them in a friendly manner that your site has relevant content that covers the same topic. Offer them a link to your pages to replace the broken link, and in most cases, you’ll have earned yourself a new backlink.9. LINK RECLAMATIONSometimes, your business or brand will get mentioned online without any link to your site. This step is usually due to human error, but the good news for you is that it can be a new source of backlinks.Link reclamation is simple but very powerful. Usually, you’ll find that someone has mentioned you on their blog because they like one (or many) of your products or services. The post isn’t always a review per se—in some cases, they’ve brought your brand or business up as part of a larger narrative.All you need to do to find these mentions is use a tool like BuzzSumo, which generates a content alert every time someone writes about you. Most of the time, you’ll find that they’ve already included a link to your site, which is great news, but sometimes the link is missing.Instead of sitting there wishing they’d added a link, send them an email! Thank them for mentioning your business in their article (bonus tip: it helps to compliment the post as well), and ask if they would consider adding a link to your site. Mention that it can help their readers to find you if they want to.Don’t insist on having the link added. Put in a friendly request, repeat your thanks, and wish them well before signing off. Almost every time, you’ll get a positive response, and you’ll have earned a new backlink.Sometimes, link reclamation will get you some of the most powerful backlinks, and if you stick to our guide as to how to go about asking for the link, you’ll probably find they’ll give you a positive mention again in the future—this time with the link already added.10. HELPING HACKED SITESThanks to series like Mr. Robot and movies such as Blackhat (2015), more and more people are becoming aware of how often websites get hacked. Recently, the ransomware attacks have caused quite a legitimate panic worldwide.But thousands of sites get hacked on a daily basis in a far more subtle manner. Some hacks cause your site to start spamming emails that you can’t find in your outbox, or add pages that promote and sell prescription drugs.When a site has been hacked to add pages quietly, it’s not so great for the site owner—especially because they’re not likely to notice it themselves unless they’re constantly on the look-out for them. But if you can find hacked sites in your industry, you can turn it into an opportunity for a backlink.To find such sites, all you need to do is use a inurl:keyword + “keyword” search string. Inurl:fitness + “Viagra” is a typical example of how to find hack pages in the fitness industry.Next, you’ll let the site owner know about the page, providing a link to it so they can see quickly find the hack in the backend of their site builder or content management system and get rid of it. Sometimes, as a token of gratitude, they’ll ask if there’s any way they can repay you. This is where you mention that you’ve recently published an article that they may be interested in, and ask if they would mind adding a link from one of their high ranking pages. It’s as simple as that!11. WEBSITE FEEDBACK SITESAn excellent way to not only generate backlinks but also get input on how to improve your site’s user experience is to submit your website to one of the many, many feedback sites.These are designed to help site owners make the most out of their site’s potential regarding layout and conversion. Sure, usability evaluation techniques are an excellent way to do so as well, and we certainly recommend that you perform one at least once a year (and most especially when you’ve only recently launched, or you’re planning a redesign). But these don’t often result in backlinks, so when it comes to hitting two birds with one stone—improving your UX as well as your SEO—website feedback sites are the way to go.All you need to do is create an account on one or more of these sites, and then submit your site for review. Add a little description of how you think or would like to improve it, and that’s it!The best website feedback sites automatically add a backlink to your site. It seems like an obvious feature, because it allows contributors to find your site easily, but some of these platforms don’t inherently add the link.So if you’re looking for a great feedback site that will automatically generate a link for you, these are some of the most authoritative ranking ones.BounceApp.comSuggestionBox.comCritcue.comVWO.com12. GET INTERVIEWEDOnline interviews have become a popular trend lately, and they offer an easy way to earn some backlinks. It takes time to become considered an authority in your industry or niche, but when you do you’ll probably find you’ll be getting a lot of interview invitations. Until then, you’ll have to take the first step in finding opportunities to be interviewed.One way to go about this is to be on the lookout for websites—especially blogs, and even vlogs—that run online interviews. It doesn’t have to be focused on your particular niche, but in that case, you should narrow the list down to those that cover a range of topics. You’ll be wasting your time trying to get an interview on a site that isn’t relevant to your industry at all, and even if (by some miracle) you do land one, the backlink isn’t going to do much for your SERP ranking.Once you’ve found a relevant site, send them a friendly email and let them know that you’d like to participate in their project. Always be sure to include an overview of the type of knowledge you can offer as a contribution. It’s a little like guest posting and providing resources via HARO, but as a blend of the two—you’re providing a source of information that someone else will translate into content for their site.Another option is to signNow out to online publications that are located in your vicinity, and let them know you’ve recently started up. Ask if they’re interested in doing an article on local businesses, and offer to be one of the interviewees. Whichever method you use, you’re guaranteed to earn a few backlinks over time.13. GOOGLE+If you haven’t already created a Google+ profile account, we recommend you do so, because it’s an easy way to build a backlink to your site. All you need to do is sign up for free, add a link to your site in the Introduction section, and start interacting with other Google+ users. The more time you spend communicating and sharing, the more exposure your backlink will generate for your site, so like all SEO practices, it’s going to be an ongoing, long term process. Over time, you’ll be getting more and more referrals via your Google+ profile, making it an increasingly powerful backlink.One important thing to take note of is that you have to be logged out of Google+ to be able to see the link as a link, otherwise known as a dofollow link. It’s a little weird, but the link shows as nofollow when you’re logged in, meaning the backlink exists and is present on your profile, but doesn’t show as a link and can’t be clicked on to redirect users.This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do add it though. There is bound to be users who won’t be logged in when they come across your profile—if it pops up on a SERP, for example—so they’ll see the link and hopefully follow it. Besides which, having that backlink available will help search engines (Google most obviously, but Bing and Yahoo will also pick it up) to index your site and improve your SERP ranking.14. SOCIAL MEDIAThis is something of an extension to the above section on Google+, which we felt deserved its spotlight. Other social media platforms can be just as important as a platform to generate backlinks for your site and to promote your content. In fact, it’s so viable and popular an option that people have made a career out of being Social Media Marketing Managers.You don’t have to hire one when starting out of course because you should be able to run your social media platforms by yourself without any difficulty, but in the long-term, you’ll probably turn to one too.How it works is this: you create a Facebook page for your business, where you can interact with users, promote your company, and share your content. You’ll also find yourself sharing content from other sites, of course, and they’ll usually return the favor. Your followers can get regular updates on new content, products, and promotions, and they’ll be able to share your posts with their friends to—creating a ripple effect of backlink opportunities.The same can be said for Twitter, which we already mentioned as a great platform for finding opportunities to guest post on other sites. Another popular trend (more for product oriented businesses, although service providers should also consider finding ways to utilize the platform) is Instagram, which will allow you to promote your brand and share advertising campaigns such as competitions with a wide range of followers.15. CREATE QUALITY CONTENTTo generate backlinks on social media, through guest posting, and pretty much most of the methods we’ve mentioned, you need to have quality content on your site. You certainly won’t be able to use the broken link method with any success if your site doesn’t provide quality content!And genuinely, having quality content makes it more likely for other sites, and especially bloggers, to make reference to your site without your having to approach them first. Others in your industry will also be following other websites, such as yours, so to earn a backlink from them you need to make sure you’re worthy of one.Needless to say, you want your content to be unique, but you also want to provide a truly unique experience (known as having unique value). Most pages online are unique, and many of them contain valuable information, but few can offer truly unique value. To do so, you need to provide content that enhances your user's’ experience in a way that no other website page does.This is imperative in generating social media shares and other backlinks. Your content is one of the few ways you can directly control your likelihood of earning backlinks.What we suggest is to, before creating a page, imagine yourself as someone visiting your website. Picture the type of page that gives you something that doesn’t only meet your demands (which is the backbone of good content), but is also different to most of what you find online already.Once you have that picture in your head, you need to sit down and create it, publish it, and then promote it.16. SPY ON YOUR COMPETITORSTo help you create good content that will earn your site backlinks, you want to spy on your competitors. Why? Because the chances are that they’ve got great content that is already ranking well and has generated a lot of backlinks.The easiest way to do so is to follow their pages on social media because that’s where they’ll be sharing their most fruitful and relevant content. Having access to this content will come into play in a big way in our next section, the Skyscraper Method, but it’s important in other ways too. Knowing what your competitors are doing on their social media platforms will give you an idea of the type of people and companies that follow them, people that you can signNow out and market to as well. Not only that, but you’ll also be able to stay in touch with the marketing methods they’re using to earn backlinks, information that you can adopt and adapt to your brand.So what you want to do is not only follow them on social media but sign up to any newsletters they send out. Google Alerts is another great way to receive notifications as to when they’re posting new content on their site.One of our favorite tools for discovering when and how your competitors are building links is Monitor Backlinks. This will give your direct insight on the techniques you can replicate to earn your backlinks in the same industry: specific sites that you should offer to do guests posts for, bloggers you can ask for reviews, and nearly every other method we’ve mentioned.17. THE SKYSCRAPER METHODThe Skyscraper Method is a super efficient means of generating content that is not only of high quality but if done correctly will also help you create uniquely valuable pages that are sure to earn you backlinks from authoritative sites. And the best part is, you won’t have to spend any money on finding resources or developing the content either!We’ve already explained the first step of this three-step process: spying on your competitors to know what content ranks well and generates the most backlinks. In our previous section, we mentioned some tools for finding out where and how these backlinks are being built so we won’t repeat ourselves here. What we are going to do is tell you what else you can do with this content.This is step two of the Skyscraper Method: using the foundation of existing content to create your own. What you don’t want to do is simply rewrite it, because then you won’t be likely to earn additional backlinks or implement step three (which we’ll be getting to in a moment). Remember that the content you’ve now curated is meant to serve as a foundation, not a framework.On this basis, you want to present the same information in a new, better way, and most importantly add to it. Find new sources, updated and vague information, find new ways of informing your readers of something that your competitors are talking about. You’re looking to expand on the existing content, so if (for example) your competitors have a high-ranking article on the top ten products, offer your readers an alternative that ranks the top fifteen.Finally, you want to promote your improved version of the content. Once again, this was partially covered in our previous section: following up on the opportunities you found that your competitors used to generate links.18. LISTSThere are three major ways that you can use to create content that will rank well and generate backlinks in terms of how you present the information, and the first of these is to create content in the form of lists.It sounds a little odd at first, but people love long lists of information. For example, there are a lot of articles online that only give you the top ten ways to build backlinks, and those include some options that are going to cost you (like offering scholarships and donating to charities). Even some of the most authoritative SEO sites stopped at less than twenty.By implementing the first two steps of the Skyscraper Method and combining it with this one, we’ve been able to provide an article that lists 25 techniques. And the reasons for doing so is simple: when you create a longer list, you’re able to be more thorough and cover more alternatives. The same is true no matter what your topic!Creating a longer list as a means of using the Skyscraper Method also means you can create longer content. Many of the top names in SEO say that longer content is perfect for backlinks because you have the space to be detailed.The list format is an excellent way to do so because it automatically structures and divides your content into easy-to-read sections, which act as stepping stones for readers to follow.19. INFOGRAPHICSInfographics are the hot new trend in SEO, and they’re a great addition to your content in general. In fact, considering how many SEO experts promote the use of infographics, it’s surprising how few people are implementing them in their online strategies!This is probably because most people think it’s going to be expensive to make one, but it doesn’t have to be. By using sites like UpWork (previously Elance-oDesk), you can easily find a graphic designer with infographics experience for seriously affordable rates. And while it’s always better to find someone who’s done infographics before, it doesn’t have to be a requirement—in our experience; the textual content is more important than the design is.Infographics present information in a visually aesthetic way that is sure to generate shares online. All you need to do is have the idea in mind, write short, concise blocks of information (there’s the list method coming into play again!), and hire a designer to bring it to life. If you prefer, you can even do it yourself with tools like Piktochart (which is why we’ve been able to include infographics on our list of free methods to build backlinks).Next, you want to share your infographic on your social media, and more importantly on sites like Visual.ly, DailyInfoGraphic.com, and AmazingInfoGraphics.com.Last (but certainly not least), you should also offer your infographic as a guest post to established bloggers in your industry. When marketed correctly, a single infographic has the potential to generate over 100 backlinks!20. AUDIOAnother largely ignored solution for building backlinks is to create audio files. While just about anything will do, it’s obviously going to be better if you’re doing audios that are relevant to your industry.One idea that’s great is to record yourself (or someone else) reading your posts out loud and embed the file on the relevant page. This is because a lot of people absorb information better when they’re able to hear it, both instead of and even while reading it too.Another reason this can increase your page views is that, for users with dyslexia, long posts can be rather daunting, especially when they involve technical terms. Many of them use text-to-speech assistive programs such as NaturalReader, but some of these software options require users to upload the text in a document.Longer text ranks higher, but you don’t want to lose potential visitors to your site because they have to copy your content into a Microsoft Word document and then upload the file to their assistive program to get through the whole article. While not providing an audio option isn’t exactly discrimination, it would be nice to start a trend in making audio versions of your content available for those that need them. As you can probably guess, this is also an excellent way to offer content with quality value.Vocaroo is a great online tool that you can use to do voice recordings via your browser, and you can download the file in a mp3 format to embed in your site. To help you build backlinks, you can also upload the files to audio sharing sites.21. .EDU RESOURCE PAGESIt’s a well-known fact in SEO that links from .edu sites are always guaranteed to boost your ranking and generate a lot of traffic for your site. A lot of site owners feel that earning a .edu link is next to impossible though, but it isn’t. All you need to do is provide something that universities will want to link to, which is a lot easier than most people think.One way of doing so is to offer a scholarship. While it’s a fantastic means of earning .edu backlinks, it does involve a fair amount of money—something you don’t necessarily have when starting out.Luckily for you, there’s another way to build .edu links free of charge. Most universities have a resource page for their students and the public to use. These pages are full of links to websites that publish content relevant for their students and faculty members to refer to. The links are categorized and usually sorted alphabetically so as not to give any one link overt preference.What you want to do is find these reference pages and find a post on your page that best matches what they’ve already listed. signNow out to the webmaster via email to introduce your site and mention your resource in a friendly manner. Suggest (but don’t insist) that your post could be a valuable addition to their references page.Be prepared to send out a lot of these emails and only have 5-10% result in a backlink, but also remember that even one .edu link can (and will) make a substantial difference in your SEO.22. BLOG AGGREGATORSBlog aggregators are sites like Alltop that host a list of quality blogs in various industries. These aggregators can be a great and easy way to build backlinks to your site free of charge, and because they’re authoritative the link alone will already bode well for your SEO. Aggregator sites have a lot of followers too, so you can be sure that the backlinks you’ve built on them will generate a fair amount of traffic too.There are four easy steps you need to follow to earn a dofollow on any of these sites:Sign up for a free account with the aggregator siteSubmit your site as a suggestion for their listYou’ll receive some HTML code that you need to add to your site so they can verify the submission and confirm that you’re the ownerA representative from the blog aggregator site will take a look at the site within a few days to verify the submission. Once your request has been approved, a dofollow link to your website will be added to their pages.Other blog aggregators include BizSugar.com, BlogEngage.com, BloKube.com, and InBound.org. Go ahead and find as many as you can with a quick Google search. The same process as above rings true for most of them—it’s as easy as —so try to add your site to as many of them as possible. These are truly powerful backlinks that will help boost your SEO rating signNowly.23. SCOOP ITScoop It offers a simplistic solution to those looking to curate content as well as earn quality backlinks. It’s a common tool among industry leaders, and especially those looking to develop their brand on professional networks. You can think of it as another blog aggregator, except it’s so much more than just that.On Scoop It, users can build their online magazines of content from across the web that they enjoy, for the purpose of sharing the curated content with other industry members and clientele. The software’s quick search methods ensure that users find quality content from reliable sites, so adding your name to the mix will do wonders for your site’s SEO.Think of it as a second platform to publish and promote your content, and match it with other relevant content available on the web—creating backlinks for other sites that may be persuaded to do the same for you. You’ll also have the freedom of sharing your Scoop It content on your social media platforms.There are a couple of packages to choose from, and the free option is quite helpful for starting out. You may want to explore some of their paid plans in the long run, but when you’re just beginning to stretch your legs online making use of the free version is an excellent way to start building backlinks to and from your site.24. "BEST OF" BLOG POSTSThere are a lot of blogs and websites that publish “best of” lists where they provide readers with a comprehensive breakdown of the best blogs and sites in a particular niche or industry.While you may not be able to convincingly do one of your own, which would create backlinks to other sites that you may be able to persuade to do reciprocate, you can use the existing links to find blogs and platforms to pitch your own. This one of the easiest ways to do so, because you have a list of the best possible sites in your industry already laid out for you—no further research needed.Of course, you shouldn’t limit yourself to only one site’s lists. A good rule of thumb is to find at least three that you can compare, and compile a list of your own. This list is what you’ll be using to develop your email marketing strategy.You should also be on the lookout for relevant local sites that you aren’t likely to necessarily find on “best of” lists. The reason for this is simple: voice search is changing the way search engines interact with users, and take location into account when generating SERPs. Having links to other, more established local businesses can help you to rank well not only for text-based search queries but the increasingly popular conversational voice search query too.So how do you turn this list into new backlinks with an email marketing strategy?25. MAKE A PITCHUsing the methods we’ve outlined already, you’ve managed to earn yourself a host of new backlinks, but in some cases, you have to make a good pitch.The most direct way to build new backlinks is to simply ask. But it’s not likely to work (though when it does, it’s probably the easiest link you’ll ever earn!)So what constitutes a good pitch?Firstly, you need to remember that you’ve got to give a little to get a little. Backlinks are usually given out when you’re able to offer the other site something that they can use to their advantage too. So what do you have to offer other than a replacement for old and broken links, and a heads-up on hacks?They want the same thing you want, so make sure you’ve created quality content that is relevant to their site and is created using the guidelines we’ve detailed above.So let them know that you’ve already created a backlink to their site—and give them a link to the post so they can see for themselves.Secondly, you need to remember that most people get almost a hundred emails a day, so keep it short—but not leave out relevant information.Your subject line needs to be attractive. About 69% of emails marked as spam is because of a bad subject line. The body of your pitch needs to be detailed, but concise—and most importantly, friendly rather than pushy.If you’re struggling, take a look at some templates or use Pitchbox.Your pitch is ultimately going to be the breaking point in deciding whether or not a site awards you with a backlink. It’s the most basic, but also the most important, means of generating these links. Remember that, and remember our guide, and you’ll soon see your SEO ranking increase astronomically.

I would agree with the answers given by Pierre Len and Robert Lopez related to how this is largely based upon preference.  To answer the question in more detail, it is helpful to provide a bit more context on the overall path of GSB classes and how students typically differentiate in the classes they choose.As Anneke Jong wrote in a blog post (http://annekejong.blogspot.com/2...), the first year is quite challenging for a number of reasons, and few students look back on it as academically inspiring.  Most complain incessantly about it, sometimes with good reason and sometimes due to lack of perspective (I count myself in the latter group).  It is the year where you take the classes that any MBA would be expected to take.  As I reflect on it now, I wish that I had been less negative on it in the moment, as many of the classes were quite good and / or will serve me well, particularly finance, accounting, economics, and data and decisions (i.e., statistics).  Though it is painful, the administration is wise in packing these into the first year.  By the end, you are done with the "required" courses and the second year is wide open.  As long as you complete a grand total of 105 course units, including 93 at the GSB and 93 graded (vs. pass/fail), you can graduate.  By the end of the first year, most students have ~60 units completed, so in addition to a lighter course load, the classes are completely of your choosing.  During the second year, students end up splitting down a number of tracks.  As would be expected, some focus on finance / investment classes, others on general management / entrepreneurship classes, others on product design / marketing classes, and others on leadership / soft skills (NOTE: this is my rough categorization for the purposes of this answer, not an official categorization of the Stanford GSB).  Still others venture "across the street" whether on a one-off basis or through joint degree programs,  taking classes at the law school, medical school, E-IPER program (environment and resources), design school, education school, public policy / administration program (whether Stanford or Harvard Kennedy), etc. These are rough lines, and many students take classes across several of them.  From what I have seen though, you can generally see each person allocating his / her time in 1-2 tracks more than the others.  I personally focused on general management / entrepreneurship and leadership / soft skills, so I can only really speak to those.  I will try to reference other highly rated classes as well.The "signature" classes:  While there might be some differences of opinion on these, there are a couple of classes that are notable across generations of GSB students.  This is with good reason too, these classes end up being described as life and / or career changing.Interpersonal Dynamics (OB 374) -- This is probably the most famous of them all.  Commonly called "touchy feely," over 90-95% of the class takes this and many (including me) describe it as transformational.  The premise of the course is that communication and connection between you and others is one of, if not the most important factors related to your personal and professional success.  Furthermore, most of us aren't really all that good at it.  We tend to speak and respond to others, especially during times of stress, in ways that are counterproductive and prone to hurting, rather than building relationships.  There is a lecture portion of the course, but the real action takes place in T-group (i.e., training group), where a group of 12 students and 2 facilitators sit in a circle for 3-4 hours at a time.  There is no agenda.  The group just talks, going deep on topics relevant to each student.  Disagreements and conflicts arise.  Real-time feedback ensues.  While it sounds unstructured, it is very often a tremendously powerful experience, changing how you communicate and connect with others.Managing Growing Enterprises (STRAMGT 355) -- Another extremely useful class, this might be better titled "Managing Difficult Situations."  The most famous professor is Irv Grousbeck, but all the professors (including Joel Peterson, Jim Ellis, Kevin Taweel) are experienced practitioners who engage students in challenging role plays related to common management situations involving complex decisions and tough conversations.  Each class typically revolves around a real-life case study, and the protagonists are present.  After about an hour and a half of role playing the various situations, the protagonists address the class about how they handled each situation, what worked well, what didn't work well, etc.The rest of the "super round" classes:  Each year, first year students go through a registration process where they can "super round" classes that are typically very high in demand.  The above two classes are always on this list.  The classes below are as well.  Typically, each student will only get two of these (including the "signature" classes above)Leadership Perspectives (OB 363) -- A relatively new class, this has become incredibly popular in recent years.  It is taught by Joel Peterson (former CEO of Trammel Crow, current Chairman of JetBlue, Managing Director of Peterson Partners, etc.) and Charles O'Reilly, a really excellent research professor focused on leadership.  The format of the class includes one session per week where a prominent leader addresses the full class and a second session where small groups break out to discuss and reflect on what was learned from the leader.  During my class, we heard from CEOs / board members, former athletes, a city mayor, a military general, and a nonprofit leader, among others.  Each gave us 15-20 minutes of background on his / her life and path, then the next 1 hour+ was open for questioning, where we could ask just about anything (and questions / responses were guaranteed confidential within the class).  It is fascinating to see the similarities and differences among leaders as they honestly discuss their personal and professional successes and failures over time.Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital (STRAMGT 354) -- While I didn't take this class, it is also extremely popular.  It is taught by long-time venture capitalist Peter Wendell and Eric Schmidt.  The guest list is phenomenal.  This class was referenced in the recent New York Times article on Stanford (http://www.newyorker.com/reporti...).Investment Management and Entrepreneurial Finance (FINANCE 321) -- While I didn't take this class, it is extremely popular among  students with interest / focus on the finance / investment space.  It is  taught by Jack McDonald, a long-time professor and investor guru.  I'll  leave further description to an alum / student who has actually taken  the class.Other interesting (and popular) classes that I did takeLeadership Fellows (OB 330/331) -- Each year, ~66 second year students take part in the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows program.  While one purpose of the program is to help facilitate the Leadership Labs class taken by every first year student, there is also a heavy "coaching" component to the experience.  Through this, the students in the class are trained by professional executive coaches to be coaches themselves.  The point is not that most of us will actually become executive coaches (though some might), but rather that coaching is a critical part of managing, and something that many managers are not actually that good at.  During the class, each student has ~3 first year students that he / she coaches for two quarters both to practice what is learned in class but more importantly, to help the first year student improve in whatever areas of life the student so desires.  Lives of Consequence (OB 383) -- A small seminar class, this is focused on giving students time to reflect on what sort of life each student wants to lead.  The class includes some study of individuals who have been thought to have led a "consequential" life.  More importantly, the class asks each student to complete several exercises focused on his / her own life, including writing his / her own obituary and eulogy (though unusual, writing my own and listening to what others wrote about themselves was an amazing experience).  Few people find the time for such structured reflection, which is exactly what this class allows.Becoming a Leader (GSBGEN 571) -- Many students coming out of MBA programs will become managers within a few years, and becoming a manager means working not just for those to whom you report, but those who report to you.  This is often a difficult transition.  This half-quarter class uses the experience of recent GSB graduates (classes 2000 and later, more or less) as a tool to expose us to common challenges faced by first time and young managers.  Some of the examples are highlighted in short videos, but there are also two panel sessions.The Paths to Power (OB 377) -- Taught by Jeff Pfeffer (http://jeffreypfeffer.com/), this class is about the power and, as he says in his book, why some people have it and others don't.  It is often described as a controversial class, with rationale being that it just teaches tools that allow one to accumulate power.  I did not find it to be particularly controversial, but rather thought that it just highlighted a set of very basic but important considerations -- whether others know about the good work you're doing, what your network looks like and how central you are as a node within it, how you say what you say, how much social and professional capital you have, how unique you are in your organization, etc. -- that can lead to gaining and sustaining power within an organization.  Throughout the course, case studies are used, and at least once a week, case protagonists and / or professionals related to the topic at hand guest teach.Formation of New Ventures (STRAMGT 353) -- This is a survey course that uses case studies to introduce challenges and considerations across the new venture lifecycle, from idea and team formulation through IPO or M&A (at which point the venture is presumably no longer new).  Each class, the protagonists of the case being taught are present to comment on the discussion and what they actually did, why, how it turned out, etc.  There are several sections of this class.  I took a section with Andy Rachleff (Benchmark, Wealthfront) and Mark Leslie (Veritas) that was focused entirely on information technology companies.  Other sections are taught by Jim Ellis (Asurion), Jeff Chambers (TA Associates), John Mortgridge (Cisco), Charles Holloway, and George Foster (Stanford).Building and Managing Professional Sales Organizations (STRAMGT 351) -- Where Formation of New Ventures is a survey course on many topics related to starting a company, this class focuses on precisely what the name implies.  You're either building product or you're selling it.  I knew shockingly little about the latter step before this class, and found it to be among the most practical during my whole time at the GSB.  Similar to above, this class is taught with case studies, and the protagonists join each class to share their experience and learning.  Additionally, there are projects and simulations used to apply the class materials.  Mark Leslie, an amazing sales CEO for decades in Silicon Valley conceived of the class with James Lattin on the academic side.  They are now joined in different sections by Peter Levine (A16Z), Kirk Bowman (Accel), and Mark Stevens (long time Sequoia).Conflict Management and Negotiation (OB 381) -- This is about exactly what the title suggests.  Conflict and negotiation can be uncomfortable or even painful, so the course is more than 50% focused on simulations between classmates where you practice effective tools and then reflect on the outcomes.  And it does get more natural with practice...Sports Business Management  (GSBGEN 360), Sports Business Financing (GSBGEN 561), and Sports  Marketing (GSBGEN 562) -- The GSB has a number of courses and course sequences that focus on particular topics of interest for students.  I have some interest in sports and took two of the three courses above with George Foster.  You do have to be interested in sports for these classes, but if you are, it is a real treat.  Aside from the annual Billy Beane visit, Professor Foster manages to get the biggest names in Bay Area, and sometimes national sports, into the room discussing just about every topic related to business and sports.  As you will see below, there are many other courses delving into different verticals, such as philanthropy, real estate, and entertainment.Other interesting (and popular) classes that I did not takeAligning Start-Ups with their Market (STRAMGT 359) with, Andy Rachleff, which delves deep into another topic introduced in Formation of New Ventures, product-market fitCreating a Start-Up (STRAMGT 356/366) with Haim Mendelson, whereby teams of students (often across graduate programs) create a company plan and sometimes, take the product to market during and after a two quarter course togetherBiodesign Innovation (OIT 384/385) -- some similarities in process to above, but where product is focused on healthcare technologiesEntrepreneurial Design for Extreme Affordability (OIT 333/334) -- some similarities in process to above, but where product is focused on technologies that benefit people and communities in developing countries (through Stanford SEED program)Corporate Financial Modeling (FINANCE 350) with Peter DeMarzo, who wrote our book on itMergers and Acquisitions (ACCT 332), guest taught by Safra Catz (President of Oracle)Understanding the Recent Financial Crisis (GSBGEN 340), Fiscal Policy (GSBGEN 363), and Contemporary Economic Policy (MGTECON 381) with User-13808067191255951908, former Economic Policy Advisor to President George W. Bush and Director of the US National Economic CouncilDesigning Happiness (MKTG 355) and Social Brands (MKTG 353) with Jennifer Aaker, author of The Dragonfly EffectReal Estate Investment (GSBGEN 306)Leadership in the Entertainment Industry (OB 388)Strategic Philanthropy (GSBGEN 381)

This Question noted 8 answers. An informed answer to the question was presented by one individual. It was very thoughtful, and included perspectives from several points of view. What I enjoyed was that it offered an answer to a question. The question wasn’t, “What are the bad points of using meth?”. Yet, as so many ‘in recovery’ want to do, the question was used as a place to vent their ideals. Something was a bad experience for them, or someone they cared about, and they are out to warn the masses. How brave. Maybe there’s a question about pit bulls and you can lecture the readers about the abuses and moral misgivings of dog fighting. Perhaps someone asks about gasoline fuel and you can stand on your environment/global warming soapbox. Way to be involved! Take a politically correct stance and listen to and feel the applause. Anybody who answered the question with an answer that included, “There are no …” should have written, “In my opinion”, or “In my experience” along side it. Otherwise, answer all of the hundreds of other meth questions. Leave this one to be answered by anyone who actually knows of some benefits. That is the information the question has asked for.Meth isn’t for everybody. Meth is also a dangerous street drug that has ruined many lives. Anybody who does not know that is not very informed about the real world. Meth should not be used because of any benefits listed by someone and they’re hoping to receive those same benefits. Meth affects every metabolism differently. Anything smoked and absorbed through inhalation by your lungs is dangerous to your health regardless of what it is. Any chemical compound used to ‘get high’ should only be done by adults out of the view of children, and only recreational drugs should be used to ‘get high’. Meth can be used in a recreational setting, by some. That’s a slippery slope, though.The benefits of meth may be to keep soldiers alert and energized to fight long battles, to fight fatigue when sleep is not an option and deadlines are approaching, to help stabilize adhd sufferers who find it difficult to focus on details that help them take care of themselves like brushing their teeth, and tying their shoes, and not forgetting the red light means to stop instead of wondering how many squirrels live on this street. Firefighters fighting fires for 20 straight hours might find benefits, as well as people who can’t stop putting food into their mouths. There are much more harmful effects from obesity than meth use. I’m going to take a wild guess and predict that more lives are lost to the harmful effects of obesity than are lost to meth. (That’s worded wrong. It should say the harmful effects of doughnuts. Obesity is a condition. Meth misuse is a condition. Meth use and doughnut eating are both forms of drug use.)Other benefits might include, but are not limited to, being more passionate about your job. Sometimes, people hate their lives, their job, their frame of mind is a dark cloud over them which can affect others negatively if they are an airline pilot, bus driver, surgeon, etc. Another benefit may be to help motivate a person to work out, or exercise. There are not many things better for the body than a good hard work out session. Exercising should begin with complete stretching and involve necessary fluid intake to avoid damaging muscles or becoming dehydrated. Proper breathing technique is also very helpful to the overall benefits of exercise.Mental health is another area where depression could be fought with administering a small amount of meth. Motivation and enthusiasm about what you are involved with is always beneficial. Lethargy and disinterest can lead to unhappiness, unfulfilled expectations, negative attitudes, and basically all around dickishness (may help a person not be such a dick).Anything powerful can be abused. The power of meth should be respected and used only as a tool, or an aide, and only after careful consideration based upon facts and documented study. Long term use may become a problem if ingested by the lungs, or too frequently. If not used wisely and in moderation, anything can become a problem.