study in school and fail?

My parents always told me to get an education, so I can be successful in any career I decide to choose. Now, my big question is "Does studying really help be successful in school?" . There are 2 schools of thought when answering this question:

1) The more you study, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more wisdom you gain. The more wisdom you gain, the more success you will have in your career.

2) This image might logically summarize this school of thought more efficiently.