Hard work pays off

Hard work ain't just doing as many practices as one can. It is about analysing what went wrong and finding means to strengthen our weak points. It may be hard to keep doing and doing and doing and doing but it's harder to analyse and find means because it usually isn't that simple a thing to find that weak spot and to go a step further to strengthen that weak spot. And anyway once the most effective method is chosen, one has to practice the method; or if the skill is mastered, one has to learn more, analyse more and do more in order to continue developing effectively. Doing practices alone is just too simple.

Don't differentiate "study hard" and "study smart", and don't put them together (study hard AND study smart). Studying smart IS studying hard.