Productive Student Home and Office Desk Setup: Student Desk Must-Haves

Whether you’re working from home or from school as a student, it’s important to have a desk set up that makes you feel productive and ready to get work done! Here are all of your student desk essentials that you’ll need for a productive workspace!

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The Ultimate Productive Student Desk Setup Essentials

The Desk

Picking your desk is going to be the hardest choice unless one is provided to your by your dorm room or by your office. When selecting a desk, you’re going to want to make sure that it’s the right dimensions for everything that you’re trying to fit on it, and that it’s the right height for your liking. There’s a lot of variation these days in styles of desks as well, so consider the different features that you might want such as a keyboard tray, drawers, top selves, storage for a desktop tower, cord management, etc. I personally have a simple desk with one drawer, and I wanted something that would match my style.

The desk I have is from a company that is no longer in business, but this antique white desk is the closest one to the one I have!

Your Computer Setup

The Computer. Your computer is going to be your most used piece of equipment on your desk so you’re going to want something that meets your needs for the duration of your schooling. Consider things like storage, processing speed, size, battery life, and the display. I have been an avid MacBook user for years. I had a Macbook Pro that lasted 7 years before getting a new MacBook Air. I personally feel that Macs are worth the investment especially if you’re an iPhone user. For my office desk for my Ph.D. work at school, I have an Alienware PC.

Extra Monitor. In addition to having your computer, whether it’s a laptop or a desktop, having an extra screen or monitor is super helpful. I personally wish I had an extra monitor earlier in my schooling! I currently have the Lenovo ThinkVision Monitor and it hooks up easily to my MacBook.

Laptop Stand. If you’re working with an extra monitor and a laptop, consider getting a laptop stand so everything is at the same level! https://amzn.to/3buG3zE

External Keyboard. Some people don’t like typing on their laptop keyboard so get an external one! Nowadays they make some very cute and vintage-looking keyboards so they can add to your desk aesthetic! For those who simply need one for their desktop computer, get funky and get one that’s not boring and black!

Desk Accessories

Desk Pad. A desk pad is going to keep your workstation clean and prevent everything from moving around.

External Hard Drives. Having an external hard drive is so important for backing up all of your work! Make sure you get a hard drive that is compatible with your computer, especially if you have a Mac!

Lighting

Docking Station (for MacBooks). Since I have a Mac, I need to have a docking station to connect my external devices and hard drives.

Dry erase board. I’m old school, I still use a dry-erase board to keep quick notes!

Pomodoro Timer. If you haven’t caught on to the Pomodoro technique yet, consider adding it to your desk setup by getting a simple timer!