One of the worst years that I ever had to encounter was class XI. Just after passing out of class X and opting for science stream I heard that the CISCE board had decided to make some changes to the education system. The earlier system, consisting of three unit tests with 10 marks in each subject, and the two terminals with 30% and 40% weightage respectively had been done away with. The new system consisted of three terminals, each subject carrying 100 marks with weightage being 20%, 30% and 50% respectively. The first terminal took place barely two months before we settled into class XI, resulting in disastrous marks. The teachers, to complete the huge syllabus in time, took haphazard classes and barely touched all the topics. Sometimes we had no idea of what we were being taught! After a year of this hell, we finally managed to scrape together enough marks in the final terminal to make a decent overall result. Now class XII beckons. For all Class X students waiting to get into class XI, my advice is "Be afraid, be very afraid".