Comment Loud Fan (Score 1) 561
All you need is competing noise. Get a large fan and turn it up, most of the outside noises will be drowned out.
Also, a website like http://rainfor.me/ helps me a lot when I find myself wandering off into my thoughts.
If you listen to music and the voices are too distracting, just listen to good movie scores, classical soundtracks, or something orchestra based like http://open.spotify.com/user/1225153336/playlist/174h1jI74KgCR30U60E5Wt or http://open.spotify.com/user/1225153336/playlist/0zfVN0HOmVKz5CVDNWigXg. I find when I'm programming or studying, having complete silence is great. When I can't achieve that, then I need background white noise and voiceless music.
Just some thoughts based on what I've learned since attending College.