I really wasn't sure what to expect when this item arrived. The box came with instructions and pictures, but some of it you had to figure out for yourself. Overall, this was really easy to put together and very sturdy. I have a 19" monitor on it (not a flat screen, but an old heavy piece of junk monitor). The desk didn't "bow" or bend under the pressure at all. A couple of tips when you get ready to put this thing together: although it comes with an allen key, you'll still need a philips screwdriver. The first 2 screws you'll need to use will NOT fit into the holes they drilled! Expect to use a little elbow grease or a power screwdriver to get the screws in there. At first it appears they do not fit, then you must MAKE them fit. I had my husband do it and he used a wrench (we don't have much in the way of "power tools" at home) which worked just fine. The other thing is the sliding pieces that hold up the keyboard tray are somewhat confusing. We put them on upside down/backwards (doh!) because the instructios didn't specify which end was up. There is a small "lip" on each of them with a hole in it, that goes ON THE BOTTOM and NOT THE TOP! If you can figure that out, you won't have to take it apart and re-do it again like we did. :) But really even with the setbacks this whole process was not difficult at all. Lots of small parts and screws, but once it was done we were both very pleased. It was also difficult to find something that was cheap but comfortable for both of us (I'm short) and my husband (he's 6'4"). We have a somewhat large office chair and it fits under the keyboard tray with no problem at all. The desk height and sturdiness is perfect for our needs. We were able to put the hard drive tower on the bottom shelf, along with a printer. Overall, very pleased and would definitely recommend for a smaller apartment with limited space (and budget!)