Desk Setup Secrets From A Fourth-Year Med Student & Six-Figure Business Owner

Aug 23

This article contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through a link on this page, I receive a small kickback at no extra cost to you.

Every student knows that the importance of having a proper workspace cannot be understated!

Today, we’re touring the desk of It’s Life, by Maggie, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Colorado and online business owner who’s on a mission to help students get accepted to their dream med school.

As a student and business owner, Maggie spends a lot of time at her desk - so she’s learned a thing or two about setting up a workspace for success. And what better way to learn how to do that ourselves than by taking a tour?

So without further ado, here’s the desk of a med student/entrepreneur along with her top tips and recommendations for setting up both a cute and functional workspace (yes, you can have both)!

The Main Setup

college desk — *Source: It's Life, by Maggie*

Let’s start the tour! Maggie’s workspace has a clean and simple aesthetic, thoughtfully set up with anything she might need during a long med school study session.

“I love to set up my study space in a way that looks super cute (I am all about aesthetics) but also feels cozy - so that long hours of studying and working become so much easier AND more fun!” she says.

Her desk itself is the perfect, multifunctional work area. It’s adjustable - so she can use it as a sitting or standing desk, and even features outlets so she can easily plug in her tech while keeping them within reach.

desk setup ideas — *Source: It's Life, by Maggie*

Speaking of plugging things in, one of Maggie’s top desk finds is this super aesthetic cable management box. No one likes the look of messy wires, and something like this is the perfect solution to keep the space underneath a desk clear.

On the left side of Maggie’s desk, she has a white table that serves as additional space to work, study, and keep items she doesn’t want cluttering up her desk.

She’s also got a comfy desk chair to complete the main setup. It’s beige to match the rest of the space and comes with plenty of arm and back support - a must have for busy students!

The Tech

aesthetic desk setup — *Source: It's Life, by Maggie*

A computer is undoubtedly the most important piece of technology on any college student’s desk! Here, Maggie’s pink desktop takes center stage as her primary tool for studying, running her business, and daily planning.

Accompanying her desktop is an adorable mechanical keyboard featuring soft beige, blue, and green tones. “I love that it’s wireless so I can easily move it around,” Maggie says.

Another tool she has handy is this headphone stand that sits neatly on the far corner of her desk. Using this stand to store them looks “so much nicer than just leaving my headphones laying around somewhere.”

The Decor

Decorating your college desk is one of the most fun parts of the setup process! Maggie took an aesthetic and inspirational approach to decorating, with her decor curated to look cute while also being motivational.

She’s a huge fan of vision boards, saying “I always create a yearly vision board (and sometimes update it over the year) which makes such a beautiful wall decoration when framed.”

But they’re more than just pretty wall decorations to look at! For Maggie, having her goals visualized right in front of her helps her stay “super motivated” and romanticize her studies.

Outro & Closing Thoughts

Hopefully you enjoyed this desk tour of a fourth year medical student/business owner and got some great desk setup ideas of your own! As always, thank you for reading.

Read this next: Super Aesthetic Desk & Tech Finds To Help You Be More Motivated + Productive

For handmade digital art prints, icon packs, wallpapers, & more designed by me, be sure to stop by my digital boutique: Designed By Nikki Lo.

Connect with me!