Six minutes after nearly scoring the go-ahead goal, Zidane let his frustration get the best of him after exchanging trash talk with Italy's Marco Materazzi. Zidane's blatant charging head butt into Materazzi's chest dropped the Italian defender to the ground and drew a deserved red card from referee Horacio Elizondo. That stunning turn of unsportsmanlike events deflated France's hopes for a second World Cup title as Italy went on to win on penalty kicks (unless we thought the French weren't toast without Zidane and substituted stars Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry).

1.) Find a quiet study area free of distractions. Does your school or town have a library? Use it. I know I'll be using mine. They make it easier to use your time efficiently. Instead of taking an hour and a half on a subject because you are talking to a friend, you'll get the subject done in 45-50 minutes. In addition, you'll retain what you had read better.

2.) Take good notes and REVIEW them. If you're like me, you'll take good notes but never use them. Organize you're notes like I should have done. That way you don't loose them and they're easier to read. On the weekend, for a few hours, review ALL the notes you took for ALL your subjects, making sure you know and remember the material. If you study your notes periodically, like every weekend, you won't get caught studying your notes/cramming the night before a test.

3.) Prepare for a class, especially in the maths and sciences, ahead of time. Before you enter the classroom, like maybe the night before or the morning of, skim through the lesson you'll be learning that day. That way you won't get caught off guard by learning anything too new. You'll have, at least, an idea of what you'll be learning, and the class will only serve as a way to further your understanding. This is a tip I got here from the forums.

4.) Do your homework and don't PROCRASTINATE. Self-explanatory. This is a lesson I learned the hard way. Last year, I would have peformed much better academically if I didn't wait till the last minute to do everything and did all my homework. Homework can either kill your grade in a class or raise it and late paper will definitely hurt you.

5.) Time-management. Learn it. Breathe it. Live it. If you want to make room for other activities in addition to school and remain sane, be ready to live by a strict schedule. Know your priorities. If you have to give up some free time for yourself, give it up.