diff --git a/scripts/test_database.py b/scripts/test_database.py
index 099d8da..b2a47c0 100644
--- a/scripts/test_database.py
+++ b/scripts/test_database.py
@@ -1,78 +1,38 @@
 import mysql.connector
 from mysql.connector import errorcode
 
-# Define database connection details
-db_config = {
-    'user': 'neuer',          # Replace with your MariaDB username
-    'password': 'S3raph1n!',   # Replace with your MariaDB password
-    'host': 'mariadb',         # The service name of your MariaDB container
-}
+def connect_to_db():
+    connection = None  # Initialize connection to None
+    try:
+        # Establish connection
+        connection = mysql.connector.connect(
+            host='mariadb',  # Use the container name or the IP address of the host running the container
+            user='neuer',
+            password='S3raph1n!',
+            charset='utf8mb4'  # Ensure the connection uses the correct charset
+        )
+        
+        # Create a cursor object using the connection
+        cursor = connection.cursor()
+        
+        # Set the session collation explicitly
+        cursor.execute("SET SESSION collation_connection = 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci'")
+        cursor.execute("SET NAMES 'utf8mb4' COLLATE 'utf8mb4_unicode_ci'")
+        
+        print("Connected to MariaDB with utf8mb4_unicode_ci collation")
+        return connection
 
-# Initialize connection and cursor variables
-conn = None
-cursor = None
+    except mysql.connector.Error as err:
+        if err.errno == errorcode.ER_ACCESS_DENIED_ERROR:
+            print("Something is wrong with your user name or password")
+        elif err.errno == errorcode.ER_BAD_DB_ERROR:
+            print("Database does not exist")
+        else:
+            print(err)
+    return connection
 
-try:
-    # Connect to MariaDB server
-    conn = mysql.connector.connect(**db_config)
-    cursor = conn.cursor()
-    print("Connected to MariaDB server")
-
-    # Force the session to use utf8mb4_general_ci collation
-    cursor.execute("SET SESSION collation_connection = 'utf8mb4_general_ci'")
-    cursor.execute("SET NAMES 'utf8mb4' COLLATE 'utf8mb4_general_ci'")
-    print("Session collation set to utf8mb4_general_ci")
-
-    # Drop the existing database if it exists
-    cursor.execute("DROP DATABASE IF EXISTS test_db")
-    print("Existing 'test_db' database dropped.")
-
-    # Create a new database with utf8mb4_general_ci collation
-    cursor.execute("CREATE DATABASE test_db CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci")
-    print("Database 'test_db' created with utf8mb4_general_ci collation.")
-
-    # Select the newly created database
-    conn.database = 'test_db'
-
-    # Ensure all tables in this database use utf8mb4_general_ci collation
-    create_table_query = (
-        "CREATE TABLE employees ("
-        "  id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,"
-        "  first_name VARCHAR(50) CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci,"
-        "  last_name VARCHAR(50) CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci,"
-        "  hire_date DATE"
-        ") ENGINE=InnoDB CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci"
-    )
-    cursor.execute(create_table_query)
-    print("Table 'employees' created with utf8mb4_general_ci collation.")
-
-    # Insert a sample record
-    add_employee_query = (
-        "INSERT INTO employees (first_name, last_name, hire_date) "
-        "VALUES (%s, %s, %s)"
-    )
-    employee_data = ('John', 'Doe', '2024-08-14')
-    cursor.execute(add_employee_query, employee_data)
-    conn.commit()
-    print("Sample record inserted into 'employees' table.")
-
-    # Retrieve and display the inserted record
-    cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM employees")
-    rows = cursor.fetchall()
-    for row in rows:
-        print(f"ID: {row[0]}, First Name: {row[1]}, Last Name: {row[2]}, Hire Date: {row[3]}")
-
-except mysql.connector.Error as err:
-    if err.errno == errorcode.ER_ACCESS_DENIED_ERROR:
-        print("Something is wrong with your user name or password")
-    elif err.errno == errorcode.ER_BAD_DB_ERROR:
-        print("Database does not exist")
-    else:
-        print(err)
-finally:
-    # Close cursor and connection only if they were successfully created
-    if cursor:
-        cursor.close()
-    if conn:
-        conn.close()
-    print("Connection closed.")
+# Example of using the connection
+conn = connect_to_db()
+if conn:
+    # Perform database operations here
+    conn.close()