Essay for a low income student scholarship about learning something new

Tell us about a time you learned something new and were excited to uncover more information about that topic.

***
One constant in the life of every younger sibling? Hand-me-downs.

As the youngest, I was the final stop for the many things my family members had deemed unsuitable for them and passed down. Usually, these items followed a predictable path: Dad to my sister, then to me, though sometimes my mother would get them before my sister.

This time, however, the hand-me-down wasn't a piece of clothing or a forgotten toy. It was my dad's Dell Inspiron laptop, a cherished possession he bought with his first paycheck. This laptop had a storied past, having traveled to more countries than I had. It accompanied my dad from Dubai to Nepal, and then to the States, over almost a decade. After making its way through my family, it was finally my turn to inherit it.

But soon, the enthusiasm turned into frustration, and my heart sank as the dreaded blue screen appeared. The Blue Screen of Death, as it is ominously known, took over the display. Stark white text filled the screen, set against the unsettling azure backdrop.

What exactly was this blue screen? Did I break it? Could I fix it?

Determined to resurrect the laptop, I followed guidance from a Windows online forum to troubleshoot my specific error code. Using a series of diagnostic protocols, I was able to isolate the root cause as a corrupted driver. Through the Device Manager, I uninstalled and updated the problematic driver. Finally, I ran the sfc /scannow command to ensure all corrupted files were repaired. After performing a clean boot, the laptop was finally free from the clutches of the Blue Screen of Death.

It was exhilarating and almost revelatory to have fixed the laptop. I became fascinated with the intricacies of electronics and the satisfaction of bringing something back to life. I started to watch videos on how the heap memory manages dynamic data allocation and CPU cache improves processing efficiency, eventually experimenting with broken devices around the house, but I needed more.

That's when I decided to start EcoTech. It began as a simple initiative to gather discarded electronics, offering free repairs to anyone in need. The project quickly grew, providing me with a treasure trove of gadgets to tinker with. Through EcoTech, I not only honed my skills but also realized the importance of sustainability and giving back to the community.

***

I have 400 words and i already used 389(i dont really know how to finish the essay cause i wanna show initiative and impact ig) Any tips on how to cut down and end the essay would be helpul!.

The discussion of EcoTech is not aligned with the prompt requirements. That total paragraph can be removed without affecting the preceding paragraphs. Once the reference to EcoTech is removed, it will be best to revise the current preceding paragraph to make it read more like the conclusion of the story. That is actually where the story ends for your interest in terms of the prompt requirement anyway. Sometimes, trying to tell the reviewer too much, when less should be said is actually what prevents one from creating the perfect concluding presentation for the response essay. In this case, there was really no point in presenting EcoTech at the end because that would have needed a separate and most thorough discussion presentation. It was unnecessary to present it.