Hard Work Will Set You Free
If you truly want success in life you're going to have to work hard. There are no two ways about it.
I've learned some hard truths since leaving school. Nobody cares about which university you went to. Nobody cares about what your hometown is. Hell, people only kinda care about the last place you worked. What do people care about?
Your character and if you have the capacity to work hard. Are you going to die if you don't work hard? Of course not. You may even be able to glide through doing the minimum amount necessary. But I think it's human nature to feel gratified after a hard day of work.
Times have obviously changed and people work less with their hands than with their minds these days. Hard work can be anything. Hard work is going that extra lap to make sure your work is stellar. I can't tell you exactly what it looks like. It's just a feeling.
I urge you to avoid the easy road and do the hard work. It'll pay dividends in the future :)