Homework is a necessary part of the school experience. Whether your kids are getting it done as soon as they get home from school, working on it after dinner, or just before bed, it’s important that they have a good space in which to work.
Sure, the kitchen table is a great spot, particularly if mom or dad is sitting with the young student to help out with some tough math problems or quiz him on Canadian geography. But your child will also need his own creative space, to write that book 
report, build a science project, or simply study on his own for an upcoming test.
In these instances, the bedroom is a perfect spot to hide away and get things done before enjoying some TV time, playing outside, or tucking in for the night. Here are a few ideas for designing the room so that it’s perfectly primed for scholastic excellence.
Desk
First and foremost, you’ll need a desk. Look for something with plenty of room, which will be especially appreciated for creative projects. Spots to organize books and papers can come in handy, too. The Monarch 3-piece Desk Set includes a small writing desk, but adds a bookcase and multi-purpose cart that can be used for extra storage. The desk itself has a single drawer for holding pens, pencils, erasers, and other small items; and the shelf has two adjustable shelves so it can accommodate both large and small books or folders/binders. And the shelves can also be used to hold other items so you 
aren’t using up valuable space, like sports awards, stuffed animals, and photos. It comes in white or maple.
A clever solution is a bed that has a built-in storage area that can double as a desk. Take the South Shore Logik Single Bunk Bed, for instance, which is ideal if you have two kids sharing a room. On the left side of the beds, which form an L-shape, is storage space that’s just large enough to fit a laptop computer, binder, and related papers, books, and accessories on a storage shelf below. Add a chair and voila! You’ve got bedroom desk space.
Particularly for older kids and bigger rooms, you might want to invest in a larger desk that has room for equipment like a printer and textbooks. The Monarch L-shaped Office Desk fits the bill. It has plenty of surface space to get things done, plus an enclosed space to hold papers, books, and folders behind frosted glass panels. You can orient the desk with the side piece on the right or left to fit the room perfectly.
Chair
This isn’t an office chair that someone will be occupying for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week (If you’re interested in those read Leo’s article). So you don’t need anything elaborate. And since it’s going in a bedroom, you’ll want something small as well. But remember that your kids will probably be 
enjoying leisure computer time in that area as well, so it has to be comfortable.
The Milbrook Mesh Mid-Back Task Chair should do just fine, as it offers adjustable height and back settings, plus it has swivel wheels for moving about as needed. And it comes in a number of colours to match the room’s decor.
If you prefer something stationary, you could opt for something simple like the Basyx by HON Armless Guest Chair.
Charger/Surge Protector
You don’t want to take up too much space with a large power bar to maximize the nearest wall outlet. But your student likely has tons of things he needs to plug in, from the computer, to a printer, portable speaker, desk lamp, and so on. Something like the PowerCube 4-outlet Original USB Power Bar can save space, it looks cool, and lets you plug in up to 
four devices via AC, plus two more in the USB ports. Each USB power has a 2.1 Amp outlet, which is ideal for tablets as well as smartphones.
Another idea is to get a long and slim power bar/surge protector and wrap it around the leg of the desk, or mount it on the wall so that it’s out of the way, but still easily accessible to plug in what you need. The Monster PowerCenter 600 6-outlet Surge Protector offers, as the name implies, six power outlets, and it protects your gear from power surges and voltage spikes. That’s especially critical for students working on big projects—imagine losing a document you didn’t save because of a power surge?
Lamp
There will inevitably be a few late night study sessions, in which case, a desk lamp will be necessary to avoid eye strain while your student studiously goes through his notes and works out homework problems.
Go for something simple, functional, and stylish, like the Aurora Lighting Trivana Desk Lamp. What’s particularly good about this one is that it can clip to the side of the desk, or top, and moved about as needed to provide light in the perfect spot. The gooseneck is extendable, reaching 19”. And it’s finished in a 
neat brushed bronze that would match any decor.
Monitor
It’s always advisable to use a larger screen monitor that can sit at eye level versus staring at a laptop screen that sits below eye level as you type away. And if your kids have a desktop computer in their bedroom, a high-quality monitor will be a necessity. The Acer 20.7” Widescreen LED Monitor is not so large that it will be overbearing on a small desk, but it’s large enough to provide extra viewing space while they work away. It’s ultra-slim, with a fast 5 ms response time, and 1,080p resolution.
Laptop
Given space restrictions, you might decide to opt for a laptop for your child versus a full-sized desktop—especially if you like to keep the family computer in a common area, like the living room or basement. In this case, look at a convertible model that can also double as a tablet, and can be oriented in a number of ways. The HP Spectre x360 has a 13.3” touchscreen, and can be used in traditional laptop, tablet, or tent mode. It comes loaded with Windows 8.1, and has both WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity. It comes with a 256 GB solid state drive.
Check out lot more great back-to-school gear at Best Buy Online.
