the.com/highschool
Four years of forced socialization that somehow doubles as the rest of your life's reference point.
means The secondary-education stage, roughly ages 14 to 18, between middle school and college or adulthood.
from From the German Hochschule, literally high school, though there it confusingly means university; English borrowed the phrase in the 1800s for upper-grade public schooling.
Spelling noteUsually two words; one word is a common shortcut.
Global ageCompulsory secondary schooling exists in most countries worldwide.
Memory biasAdults vividly overremember teenage years, called the reminiscence bump.