I think a core part of productivity itself is the environment. And I've spent the last year slowly building up my dream productivity setup for university bit by bit, saving up and then dumping it into this item and the next and so on. I'm sure if you look into my old videos, you can see that every single video has a different setup. But that's also partly because I rarely upload. Today, I wanted to share that with you and hopefully give you some inspiration for your own setups at home.

We can't talk about desk setups without the foundation of it, the desk. The one I've got here is the Omni desk with the dark acacia top. The one on the website for Omni desk is actually really, really ugly for this desk. So, I kind of took a risk when I bought it, but I'm glad I did because it looks so nice and it's just I think a little more saturated than the walnut. For me, I've always liked sit-stand desks. But what's actually good for your posture is the ability to change whenever you need to.

Each time you change, it's actually like taking a little break from what you're doing. The desk comes with four presets that you can set for different heights. So, for me, I kind of use that as like one being the lowest typing height, two is a bit taller uh just for writing on like my iPad. Three is basically the standing version of the typing level and then four is the standing version of the writing level. Now, sitting on top of the desk, we have a desk shelf also from Omni desk in the same finish.

Essentially, what I keep under the desk shelf are just things that I don't use all the time. Currently, I have a lightning and USB-C cable for my charging, iPad and laptop sleeve, glasses case, audio interface, coasters, a keyboard stabilizer, and I have my trusty Actuarial uh Formula and Tables for Examination of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, which is a real life hack and you definitely need it for all of the exams.

Okay, that sounds sarcastic. You actually do need them. If we move on top of that stand, what we have are my headphones of choice, the Apple AirPods Maxes. The noise cancellation is top-notch and the transparency mode feels like I'm not wearing them at all. The the ear cuffs, they're really soft and it's not leather, so it doesn't make you feel sweaty and you can wear them for a long period of time. Sound is great and these are hands-down the most comfortable headphones I've tried.

I can't lie, Apple makes great hardware. The case itself that it's lying in absolutely sucks. It looks like a bra like everyone says and I have not actually taken this outside with me on the go. I've only used it at home. Now, one of the main pieces of the setup is the monitor itself. So, right here I have the Dell 34 Yeah, so the Dell U3421WE. Didn't have to search that up. This is my first ultra-wide monitor and I am very happy with it.

One thing I found is that when I had two monitors, I would only be using one and then the second one just kind of has a little something in the background that I'm not really paying attention to. But, with the ultra-wide, it actually forces me to use all the portions of the screen. So, what I would do is I can split this up. That might be like tutorial questions, the solutions, and then the Moodle site if I need some other resources or like a lecture or video or something like that.

Another great feature about the monitor itself is that this actually works as a hub. I just plug everything straight into the monitor and it allows me to have a really clean look and just one cable that connects to the computer itself. Sitting on top of the monitor, I have a light bar from Xiaomi. Light bars have been a game-changer for me. I used to use a lamp, but the lighting was just so harsh with no adjustability.

This light bar comes with a puck that allows you to turn clockwise to increase brightness or anti-clockwise to reduce it. And if you hold it down while turning, you can actually change the color temperature as well. It lights up the desk really well with diffuse lighting to reduce eye strain and has removed the need for a lamp. Although it might be good to keep in mind that this light bar specifically is not compatible with the monitor I have.

I had to actually make some adjustments to it for it to fit. Behind the desk and monitor, I have some LED lights. I just bought some basic LED strips from Amazon and these light bars from Amazon. I don't recall what the brand is. They're just basic LED lights that you can connect to Google Home. Beside my monitor, I have two Edifier speakers. I'm not exactly sure what the model of this one is. The closest one I can find online is the R1700BT, so Bluetooth bookshelf speakers.

These were actually just handed down to me from my dad who bought them and just ended up not using them. I'm not much of an audiophile, so I don't know a lot about sound quality and things like that, but they do sound great and I think it looks really cool because it matches the dark acacia of the desk and just gives the setup an overall more earthy vibe. The microphone I have here, which is what I generally use for A-roll stuff where I'm just sitting down and talking, is the Shure SM57.

I think if I was actually buy a mic for just video and voice purposes, I'd definitely go for something different, but this mic is doing just fine. It sounds great and I have no complaints. Down below on the main area of the table, we have my desk mat, keyboard, and mouse. For my desk mat, I bought the extra large dark wool version from a site called Minimal Desk Setups. It gives the desk a really cozy feeling. Because it is wool, I think if I was to do it again, I probably would not choose wool because just over time the little fibers start coming out and it catches onto the mouse every now and then.

Sitting on top of that desk mat, I have my current keyboard which is the Keychron Q1 V2. This has been completely modded out. see, what mods have I done? PE foam, polyfill, force break mod with lubed and filmed switches. Current switches that I'm using are the Gateron Ink Blacks V2. Very popular. Basically everyone uses them when you want that thocky sound. But just as a general piece of advice, switches do not make your keyboard sound that different.

It's like It's like minuscule. It's mainly just for feel. Someone saying like this switch will make your keyboard thock is just that lying to you. The main thing is actually the keyboard itself. On top of that, I have the PBT fans white on black. Um it's a very minimal keycap set. And I think it matches the dark and moody theme I have going on for my desk. Usually people don't give this much time to the keyboard for a setup video, but I'm really into them and so here is a sound test.

And beside that, I have my mouse of choice. It is the MX Master 3. The main reasons why this is my mouse of choice is because of comfort, functionality, and just aesthetics. The shape of this mouse is quite large and it might feel weird to someone who uses smaller mouses, smaller mice. But once you get used to it, it's really nice. It cups the palm of your hand really well. The functionality aspect of it is the extra buttons.

So, you have the side scroll wheel. You have the like the forward and back buttons and you also have the gesture button, which is hidden in the little crevice that your thumb sits. The gesture button for me is the reason why I love this mouse so much. Because I'm a Mac user, it allows me to still use the gestures that you usually would with a trackpad. Finally, the last part of my setup is the workhorse that's powering everything that's running, which is the M1 Max MacBook Pro.

This has been the best computer I have ever used in my entire life. I just went all out on the specs. So, this is a MacBook Pro 14-in M1 Max 64 gigs of RAM and 1 TB of storage. The specs are definitely a little overkill, but having something like this definitely gives me confidence that I can use it for the next 5-6 years. Yeah, that wraps up my desk setup tour. This is everything that I've accumulated over the past 2 years or so.

It's definitely made studying from home a lot, lot easier. That wraps it up for this video. I hope you enjoyed watching and I'll see you the next time I pick up my camera again.