I’ve written before that one of the best ways to be productive is to close your email when you’re working on something important. But if the temptation to check for incoming email is too much to resist (I give in to it, too), here’s a program that will lock you out of your own internet connection. You tell it how long you want to be restricted from online access, and it won’t let you in until the designated time.
Not a great option if you need the internet for the project you’re working on, but a good way to keep yourself focused when an internet-free task (like your college essay) is waiting to get done.