High Life A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : How Best to Ease Your Way Through Life

Having control over the destiny that shapes your life would be an awe-inspiring responsibility . . . as well as, perhaps, an astonishing opportunity.

Hot Topics wonders, “How could you make life easier for yourself?”

“I would abolish status symbols so I wouldn’t have to worry about buying the right clothes or driving the right car.”

Talia Emery, 16, senior, Woodbridge

“If I didn’t have to prepare for college.”

Jamen Griffith, 17, senior, El Toro

“I’d make it so that school would start later and end earlier.”

Danny Hai, 15, sophomore, Irvine

“If I wrote everything down that I had to do.”

Alexa Eurgess, 16, junior, Orange

“Finding yourself because without knowing yourself, you cannot succeed in anything else.”

Gabriel Trebels, 14, freshman, St. Michael’s

“Change my hair color because I’m a blonde. People always make blonde jokes.”

Kristyn Kemp, 14, freshman, Brea-Olinda

“If I had a car I could make life easier for myself.”

David Thorn, 16, sophomore, Buena Park

“If I quit my job and sell my car, I wouldn’t have to work to pay my car payments.”

Dan Jakubiec, 16, junior, University

“If I didn’t stress out so much about being punctual.”

Christopher Browne, 14, freshman, Santiago

“I should focus on my good points rather than criticizing my bad points.”

Tiffani Nguyen, 16, junior, Saddleback

“Not wake up on Mondays.”

Joe Pico, 17, senior, Valencia

“I could send my parents on a trip for about four months.”

Molly Robinson, 16, junior, Connelly

“Not go to school.”

Sandy Chiang, 16, junior, Villa Park

“I could weigh less, have a boyfriend and no homework.”

Kelli Prince, 14, sophomore, Buena Park

“Have more hours in the day.”

Cheryl Michelson, 16, junior, Santa Margarita

“By accepting life for what it is. It’s sometimes really hard to do this.”

Jenni Lang, 15, junior, Los Alamitos

“If I could stop talking back to my parents so I could do more things.”

Jocelyn Meyer, 14, freshman, Sonora

“Get good grades.”

Dean Dowd, 16, junior, Laguna Hills

“I would not worry about sports so much.”

Michol Murray, 15, sophomore, Garden Grove

“By doing better in school and also not letting things bother me so much so I don’t get worried.”

Lana Jimenez, 16, junior, Kennedy

“Lower my standards.”

Tim Nelson, 17, senior, Calvary Chapel

“Drop out of school and join the circus.”

Jason Smithling, 17, senior, Troy

“More time to do what I want to do. More money to buy what I want to buy. More pleasure to have fun in what I do.”

David Ro, 17, senior, Los Amigos

“Just kick back and take one day at a time.”

Stephany Maculsay, 16, junior, Mater Dei

“Work hard early in your life and enjoy the benefits later.”

Ryan Hartshorn, 16, junior, Fullerton

“Having complete freedom yourself, meaning not having someone tell you how to dress.”

Alex Lotez, 17, junior, St. Margaret’s

“Hire a maid so I wouldn’t have to clean my room.”

Jamie Vill, 14, freshman, Pacifica

“(Win) the lottery and live on it for the rest of my life.”

Peter Shen, 16, junior, Sunny Hills

“I take the options that are given me and use them to the best of my advantage.”

Harmony Marlow, 14, freshman, Trabuco Hills

Next Week’s Hot Topic:

What must happen to you for you to consider this school year to be successful?

Responses gathered by Brian Lee (Brea-Olinda), Karen Shelley (Buena Park), Noah McMahon (Calvary Chapel), Maura Johnston (Connelly), Tiffani Chin (El Toro), Kelly St. John (Fullerton), Laura Wible (Garden Grove), Ken Lee (Irvine), Eugenia Jovilett (Kennedy), Nikki Thompson (Laguna Hills), Trisha Ginsburg (Los Alamitos), Troy Grudin (Los Amigos), Jenny Sewell (Mater Dei), Tram Nguyen (Orange), Diana Mueller (Pacifica), Regina Hoang (Saddleback), Brooke Lyons (St. Margaret’s), Joseph Russell (St. Michael’s), Kate Elftmann (Santa Margarita), Hieu Phan (Santiago), Persephone Gonzalez (Sonora), Jedediah Yueh (Sunny Hills), Mary Baca (Trabuco Hills), Layne Mosler (Troy), Claudine Ko (University), Laura Kim (Valencia), Juanita Chang (Villa Park) and Cheherazad Elavia (Woodbridge).