My Study Desk Setup: The Desk Where I Earned 2 Degrees in 7 Months

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The Desk Where It Actually Happened

When I decided to go back to college at 60, I had no intention of spending the next several years working toward a degree. I wanted to move fast. Really fast. What eventually happened surprised even me: I completed my bachelor's degree and master's degree in a total of seven months.

And a ridiculous number of those hours were spent right here.

This desk became my classroom, study hall, testing center, writing space, and the place where I stared at my computer wondering why I had thought earning degrees at warp speed was such a brilliant idea. I spent long days here completing coursework, studying, taking assessments, writing papers, and moving from one requirement to the next.

I didn't create this workspace because I wanted a Pinterest-perfect home office. I created it because I needed a space that worked. Over time, I figured out which pieces of equipment were mandatory for the college I attended, what made studying easier, what helped me stay comfortable during long sessions, and which little conveniences were actually worth having.

So, instead of showing you a fantasy study space, I thought I'd show you the setup I actually used, what worked for me, what mattered more than I expected, and the products and tools that helped me through those seven months.

The Desk: My Sit-Stand Workhorse

One of the most important parts of my setup was the desk itself. At first I had a very small, student desk until I realized it was just not comfortable enough. Then I found a more practical large L-shaped sit-stand desk, and having that much workspace turned out to be incredibly useful.

I could keep my laptop and study materials in front of me while still having room for notes, my whiteboard, printer, and everything else I seemed to accumulate while working through a course.

The ability to raise and lower the desk was also something I appreciated during long study days. When I had been sitting too long, I could stand up and keep working instead of using discomfort as an excuse to walk away from the computer. And when you're trying to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time, being able to change positions without interrupting what you're doing is surprisingly helpful.

I didn't need a beautiful desk. I needed one that gave me enough room to spread out, kept the things I used within reach, and could handle some very long days.

Yep, that's me actually using it! Raising the desk let me keep working while giving myself a much-needed break from sitting during long study days.

Want to see the sit-stand desk I use?
→ See the desk on Amazon

The Chair: Because Seven Months Is Still a Lot of Sitting

Even with a sit-stand desk, I spent plenty of time sitting. When you're working through coursework, writing papers, taking assessments, and staring at a computer for hours, your chair starts to matter pretty quickly.

I chose a white mesh office chair and eventually added a gray ergonomic seat cushion for extra comfort. The cushion may not be the most glamorous part of my office, but during long study sessions, glamorous wasn't exactly the priority. Comfortable was.

That became one of my basic rules for my study space: remove as many unnecessary distractions as possible. If you're uncomfortable, that's a distraction. If you're constantly getting up because something hurts, that's a distraction. I wanted my workspace to make it easier to stay focused when I needed to work.

Between the chair and the sit-stand desk, I could change positions throughout the day rather than staying planted in one spot for hours.

Want to see a chair similar to the one I use?
→ Take a look at this office chair on Amazon

Want a little extra comfort for long study sessions?
→ See the seat cushion I used on Amazon

The Technology I Needed for Online College

A comfortable desk and chair made studying easier, but there were also a few things I actually needed to complete my degree program. My computer was obviously at the center of everything. Coursework, research, papers, assessments, and countless hours inside my online courses all happened on that computer.

I also needed a webcam for proctored exams. This wasn't something I bought because I planned to make YouTube videos someday. It was part of being prepared to take exams from home, while meeting school requirements.

Having the right equipment set up ahead of time meant I wasn't scrambling around trying to solve a technology problem when I should have been concentrating on an exam.

And then there was one of the simplest things on my desk: the whiteboard. For proctored exams, I used it as scratch space when permitted rather than using regular paper. It became such a normal part of my setup that you can see it sitting right there beside my desk in the photo.

None of these things were particularly exciting purchases, but that's part of why I'm including them. If you're preparing to attend college online, it's worth finding out exactly what technology and testing equipment your particular school and proctoring system require before you begin. Requirements can vary, and I would rather know what I need ahead of time than discover it five minutes before an exam.

The equipment I used:

→See the computer I used
→ See a webcam like the one I used
→ See the type of whiteboard I used for exams

Want to Know How I Finished So Fast?

My desk setup made those long days of studying more manageable, but the equipment wasn't what allowed me to earn two degrees in seven months. The bigger difference was understanding that there are ways to approach college differently than I had always assumed.

If you're thinking about going back to school, or you're already enrolled and wondering whether there might be a faster path, I created a FREE Degree Acceleration Mini Blueprint to help you start exploring your options.

It walks you through some of the important questions to ask before choosing a school or degree path, including things like competency-based education, transfer credits, accreditation, and other factors that can affect how quickly you may be able to finish.

I can't promise you'll earn two degrees in seven months. That's simply what I was able to do. But I can show you some of the things I learned along the way so you can start asking better questions about what's possible for you.

Ready to explore your options?

👉 Get My FREE Degree Acceleration Mini Blueprint