Freshman Agustina Zegers is interested in graphic design and her desk reflects this through its meticulous aesthetic. Her pinboard is a perfectly curated mixture of family photographs, beautiful book covers and handmade artwork from her friends. The contours of Zegers’ desk are clean and simple, conducive to a relaxing and comfortable study space.

“I think just having space to be visually comfortable helps you work and that’s really important to me,” said Zegers.

She uses art magazines and her father’s hand-painted design work as references for current work, even if it’s not artistic.

“I just like to have these [photos and magazines] here because I reference them when I’m writing … I have tons of things that are visually important to me,” Zegers said.

Her pinboard and wall are covered with an eclectic mixture of portraits, cover designs, handmade art and small business cards from some visitors that came to her graphic design class. She also has a stack of Post-it notes on hand, to help her remember little things that are so easily forgotten amidst the whirl of the semester’s work.

Zegers has three portraits now from her friends, who have obviously recognized her proclivity towards artistic works. Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, she also began to collect items and images of Sheikh Zayed. One such portrait rests in the very center of her desk and another in the center of her shelf as a sort of focal point to the clean lines of Zegers' space.