Sydney Cloutier ’27

by Sydney Cloutier ’27 on October 8, 2026

Hey there, Friartown! Long time no see! Good to know that everyone has survived the shift into October. I hope everyone had a great parents’ weekend, I know I did. And I may have had a bit too much fun…it’s only the second week of October, and I already have a terrible case of senioritis! Unlike my previous three years here at Providence College, I simply cannot seem to have any sort of work-life balance. I have taken the phrase “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” a bit too seriously. When senior year comes around, everything suddenly becomes 10 times more exciting. And for a distracted person like me, that is a nightmare! I do not have a bone left in my body that wants to do schoolwork, and it is only week six! 

The only thing soothing these fears is my friends, who claim to feel much the same as I do! But somehow, they manage to get work done and have time for fun activities at night and on the weekends. It is time for a serious wake-up call. This is my official statement that I, and anyone else struggling to focus on academics, will promptly get it together.

You see, it really is difficult to restrict yourself when it comes to having fun during college because you are constantly surrounded by others and everything is temporary. This campus is one big, giant, huge distraction, in a good way. But instead of locking myself inside the library and not allowing myself to have any fun until midterms are over, I am going to try to take a different approach to school. The balance between work and play is a never-ending battle that you will fight throughout the entirety of your college career. And I can confidently say that it has yet to get better, and has probably gotten worse. 

To anyone else who is struggling to find a balance in their life, you are certainly not alone! The college might drone on and on about all the ways they can help you manage your academics, but in reality, their methods are tried and true. At the end of the day, it all comes down to accountability. My roommates keep telling me I have to hold myself accountable for my actions, whether that is not paying attention during class or missing an assignment because I was out having fun, and it’s gotten to a point where I have no option other than to say they are right. It’s not going to be easy, and at first, it is going to feel like pulling teeth, but I know I can get back into that groove. And for all the fellow Friars out there who feel the same way, we can do this! This is your official wake-up call from The Cowl to shake off that senioritis, or whatever else is preventing you from doing your homework, and get to work. Hey, I mean, this is a work hard, play hard school after all!