Student Spaces template for Mac
Lecture notes, sources and the essay you are writing each get a desktop, your calendar has its own, and games and videos live somewhere you have to go on purpose.
Download Student Spaces (.json)
The desktops
| # | Desktop | Opens | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Class | Nothing | Lecture notes, slides and the course site during class. |
| 2 | Research | Nothing | Papers, PDFs and browser tabs full of sources. |
| 3 | Writing | Pages | Only the document you are writing. The note on this desktop says so. |
| 4 | Planner | Calendar, Reminders | Deadlines and to-dos, checked when you choose. |
| 5 | Chill | Nothing | Games, videos and chat, away from the work. |
Write in Word or Google Docs instead? Change com.apple.iWork.Pages to com.microsoft.Word, or add a link to your document in urls. The planner makes this easy.
Shortcuts that make it work
- ⌃⌥2 and ⌃⌥3 move between sources and your draft instantly.
- ⌃⌥` goes back to the last desktop you were on.
- ⌥Tab shows all five desktops by name.
To install: in Spacepal, open Settings, Profiles, Templates, click Import Template…, choose the file, then click Apply. More setups: all templates.
Written by Dan Bayer, developer of Spacepal. Last updated 2026-10-28.