I’m pretty sure many students can relate that buying “good” stuff is not affordable at all. Buying electronics was tough especially when it’s for more than one person. Saving money was the go-to whenever we wanted to purchase something of great quality. Besides the point, I was doing well with any laptop that was handed to me since it didn’t matter as long as it got the job done, that was until I had to take a really important certification exam in my last year of high school. To be exact the test I was taking was a certified medical assisting exam (CMAA).

The exam slot I choose was at 2 o’clock and I double-checked that my laptop was suitable for the camera and microphone beforehand, since they had to make sure we weren’t cheating. Even my teacher called me to make sure everything was great, they took this exam seriously but I don’t blame them. When it was time to actually take the test the software said the laptop I was using was not suitable for me to take the test. I had to find a way to take the test or else three years of hard work would go to waste. So I called my best friend that lives a block away and asked if I could borrow her laptop to take my exam. I was half an hour late to the test but they were understandable since COVID obviously made this more difficult. I thank her so much because she was the reason I could take the test! A few days later I got the news that I passed the exam and was officially a CMAA. 

I saved up for a better laptop after that incident. Then I realized the laptop I thought would be suitable for me was having a student discount so I thought it would be a great opportunity to go and purchase it. My dad came along with me to go pick it up at the store and it was very exciting. Having this laptop is meaningful to me because it reminds me of my effort I put into saving up for something that benefits me and my future. I’m really grateful to have a functioning laptop now. I value my laptop even more after what happened with the exam and just glad I have something to do my work on. I probably can’t pass down a laptop because it will eventually wear out, but my sister and I take turns using it when we can.