How do you upgrade from Sierra to Big Sur or Monterey

High Sierra and Sierra are different operating systems.

It may have been refurbished in 2020, but it's still a 2011 model with 2011 hardware that cannot run a newer macOS. Its 10 year old hardware still. Refurbished just means it was cleaned up and maybe repaired if anything was faulty. It does not mean it can now magically run software from 2020.

If you wanted or needed Monterey, then yes you needed a newer Mac.

I would sell that Mac and try to get a slightly newer one. To be able to run Monterey it would need to be a 2015 or newer MacBook Pro.

Thestdalen wrote:

late 2011

Then no. a 2011 MacBook Pro cannot update to Big Sur or Monterey.

10.13.6 High Sierra is as far as it can update.

depends on what MacBook Pro model-year you own, and whether you have high-powered software that would be tragic to leave behind.

Big Sur is a BIG CHANGE from older versions, and you may want to upgrade to 10.14 Mojave or 10.15 Catalina first, then take the plunge to Big Sur with all its differences.