Best education and best job

Many people wants have the best marks while they are studying. They use a lot of their sparetime just on learning something, they might never need, or maybe they do not even like the subject they are reading about. Then why are they using that amount of time on that? why do they care about the marks, when they could use the time on something else, they find more interesting?

The life starts and ends, you do not get any medal because you work as hard as you do in school. The earth is big, the universe even bigger. Who would notice your minor effort getting the best marks, when you see people without education getting more attention on the television?

And when you are done with your education, you can move on and get a job. "Oh I must get the best salary possible!", which probably solves many of the problems you may pass doing your life. The career culture is evolving, and you see more and more only getting one kid, or even none kids, because the parents use a lot time on their job, cellphone, pc, television etc. These people thinks their job means something, but most likely they are unknown as many other. You rarely gets credit, and probably not even getting a proper pay increase. Why use that amount of time on something, you do not get any credit for? and why leave most of the traditions behind, because of the career?