Well I don’t agree with what teachers tell us. Hard work can get you somewhere yes but it wouldn’t be the only thing you should do in order to succeed. In my opinion you need a little bit of luck still. Hard work plus luck is the deadly combo. That would get you anywhere you want in life and further. Though not all of us gets that lucky.
Personally, I do believe on luck but I never relied into this concept. Hard work plus knowledge is the key. We shouldn't be doing things the hard way all of the time. Depending on luck will just stop you from achieving more than what you were yesterday; if you'd be putting everything on your fate then you should be okay with waiting 'til it's your turn already. Given that it's luck and fate, then there's no certainty when will it be your turn. With what, I guess it is obvious to upgrade the milestone you want to see yourself into. Whether it is with academic or professional life, always keep in mind to do things will full effort. Do not kill your curiousity with things that could give you growth.
If you will be given a choice to work on a single job with average salary over discovery of other ways to earn more than your usual, you have to be checking on which will be sustainable in the long run.