It was very quick to put together (took 10 minutes to screw on legs, and support beam and screw in knob). It's also very sturdy and holds a lot in the drawer and side storage pockets. It does scratch easily (which is why it's only 4 stars) - after moving my spiral notebook on it (I got the white desk), there are quite a few scratches. Other than that, it's perfect for me to study on!