diff --git a/sh/.config/sh/xdg b/sh/.config/sh/xdg
index cc00e45..a018ca3 100644
--- a/sh/.config/sh/xdg
+++ b/sh/.config/sh/xdg
@@ -32,20 +32,35 @@ test "$XDG_VIDEOS_DIR" || export XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/videos"
 # non-standard, is added to path to enable execution of any files herein
 test "$XDG_BIN_HOME" || export XDG_BIN_HOME="$HOME/.local/bin"
 
+xdg_isThere() {
+    if [ -e "$1" ] || [ -h "$1" ]; then
+        true
+    else
+        false
+    fi
+}
+
+xdg_makeForUser() {
+    mkdir -p "$1"
+    chmod 0700 "$1"
+}
+
 ## ensure directories exist
-test -d "$XDG_BIN_HOME" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_BIN_HOME"
-test -d "$XDG_CACHE_HOME" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_CACHE_HOME"
-test -d "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"
-test -d "$XDG_DATA_HOME" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_DATA_HOME"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_BIN_HOME" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_BIN_HOME"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_CACHE_HOME" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_CACHE_HOME"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_DATA_HOME" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_DATA_HOME"
 
 # create xdg-user-dirs if necessary
-test -d "$XDG_DESKTOP_DIR" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_DESKTOP_DIR"
-test -d "$XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR"
-test -d "$XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR"
-test -d "$XDG_MUSIC_DIR" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_MUSIC_DIR"
-test -d "$XDG_PICTURES_DIR" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_PICTURES_DIR"
-test -d "$XDG_PROJECTS_DIR" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_PROJECTS_DIR"
-test -d "$XDG_VIDEOS_DIR" || mkdir -p -m 0700 "$XDG_VIDEOS_DIR"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_DESKTOP_DIR" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_DESKTOP_DIR"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_MUSIC_DIR" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_MUSIC_DIR"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_PICTURES_DIR" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_PICTURES_DIR"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_PROJECTS_DIR" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_PROJECTS_DIR"
+xdg_isThere "$XDG_VIDEOS_DIR" || xdg_makeForUser "$XDG_VIDEOS_DIR"
+
+unset -f xdg_isThere xdg_makeForUser
 
 ## Applications that can be set through environment variables
 export NVM_DIR="$XDG_DATA_HOME/nvm"
diff --git a/vifm/.config/vifm/vifmrc b/vifm/.config/vifm/vifmrc
index 811d889..483245b 100644
--- a/vifm/.config/vifm/vifmrc
+++ b/vifm/.config/vifm/vifmrc
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ set findprg='fd %A --hidden --exclude .git --exclude node_modules'
 mark h ~/
 mark d ~/downloads/
 mark p ~/projects/
-mark s ~/projects/studentassistant/
 mark i ~/pictures/
 mark v ~/videos/
 mark n ~/documents/notes/