Whether you’ve just moved on campus or have already been living on your own, the temptation might be great to neglect the boring process of arranging your desk. After all, who needs order when you can enjoy chaos, right? Well, hang on.
It’s a common belief that chaos is “creative”, but in reality, it is more often counterproductive and bad for mental health. Students who live in chaotic environments tend to feel stressed and unfocused. Sometimes, they can’t even get a single assignment finished and keep wondering what’s wrong with them for months on end.
In fact, nothing’s wrong but chaos, and the only way to fight it is by making time for arranging your workstation in the right manner. As for those unfinished assignments, professional writers at Essay Hub can take care of them while you’re busy. You were not going to finish them anytime soon without a decent place for studies, anyway.
So, leave the worries behind and let’s get down to work.
1. Use the Right Desk
The desk is an essential part of any workstation for studies (and for work, for that matter). So, it’s best not to use your kitchen table as a desk; find something that’s more suitable for your needs instead.
When choosing a desk, pay attention to the following parameters:
- Size – it should be not too big for a small dorm room or studio yet big enough to accommodate all the things you need for your studies.
- Height – if you’re smaller or taller than average, standard-sized desks might be uncomfortable.
- Drawers and shelves – it’s more convenient to keep things there rather than on the table surface.
- Materials – they should be durable yet safe.
- Weight – because there’s always a chance you might want to move it.
- Design – students spend a lot of time at their desks, so it’s important that you like how it looks.
As for the price, you can always buy a refurbished item if your budget doesn’t allow for a new one.
2. Clean and Declutter
If you already have a comfortable desk but haven’t cleaned it in a while, it might be time to do that. Remove all the items from the table surface, the drawers, and the shelves, and brush the dust. Wash the surfaces with a damp cloth if allowed by the manufacturer and leave to dry.
In the meanwhile, inspect the items you had removed. Throw away all that’s unnecessary – old notes, broken pencils, etc. – and put away the textbooks you’re not planning to use anytime soon. Then, arrange the necessary items on your clean desk using the tips below.
3. Divide and Prioritize
We all know how difficult it can be to find a particular book among all the other books and notes scattered on the surface: it is unnerving, time-consuming, and distracting. But all you need to do to avoid the discomfort is to divide and prioritize.
If you have drawers and shelves, arrange your textbooks so that the ones you use the most will be the easiest to find. Those that you don’t need very often can rest in the farthest corner until you need to rotate. It’s also a good idea to divide the textbooks by subjects and put those on the one subject side by side.
4. Hang It on the Wall
If your desk is small, you can always use the space on the wall in front of it to declutter the surface. Get a utility board and hang things like scissors, rulers, file baskets, pen cups, etc. This way, they will always be at hand and you will have more space on your desk at the same time.
If you don’t like how utility boards look, you can also get a magnet board and use it to arrange notes, calendars, photos, etc. on the wall. Especially the calendars and the notes – and especially if you tend to forget about your academic deadlines! As for the pens and the pencils, you can as well keep them in a stationery organizer.
5. Let There Be Light
The worst thing you can do to your eyes is to forget about a sufficient light source while arranging a workstation for your studies. As natural light is the best, the wisest choice is to place a desk near the window if possible.
If there is no such option, make sure there is a sufficient source of electrical light nearby. A desk lamp is also a must, especially if you frequently study at night.
6. Get a Chair
While you may think that Ikea chairs from your kitchen are fine and would suffice, getting a solid office chair can make you feel more comfortable and, thus, increase your productivity. When choosing one, pay attention to the specifications as there are a lot of them.
Some office chairs are so advanced that they are terribly pricey, but even a simple one is more comfortable than a wooden table chair. So, get an office one, sit down and feel the difference. Now, you’re ready for your studies.
As you age, you may suffer some backaches or pains, buying yourself an elderly chair can alleviate your discomfort.
Wrapping Up
Having a well-organized workstation is essential for students regardless of their age and academic level. A chaotic study environment can lead to poor academic performance and mental health problems, so spare no time for this seemingly tedious task. If you don’t know where to start, use the tips above and they will guide you through the whole process!
