When I first started University (5 years ago)  there were fewer laptops and smart phones around campus. If someone was taking notes in class it was through old fashioned pen and paper. Granted, a few people would lug around laptops (Dell seemed to be popular at the time). Professors told me about their own college experience writing papers involving real books, hours at the library going through shelves and spending time with the Dewey Decimal System. There was no handy search bar or filters. 

This year, you can hardly walk three steps without seeing the glowing apples, someone thumbing their phone, or Facebooking while they “study.” We have so many more ways to use technology and as a result, more distractions. 

There is one way I combat the bouncing icons, bleeping messages, and notifications that very easily pull me away from tasks—distraction free writing rooms. It’s a private space for writing that blocks out all the distractions. I find the atmosphere so nice that I don’t want to leave the room but reluctantly do (usually for the thesaurus). 

Try them out! Ommwriter, FocusWriter, WriteRoom, Q10, WriteMonkey (read the details from Lifehacker)

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