by Olivia Gleason '26 on October 9, 2025
Editor's Column
As the leaves ever-so-slowly begin to turn and the occasional chill in the air hints at the arrival of autumn, I’ve been thinking more and more about the importance of embracing change—specifically, changes of scenery.
It’s so easy to get bogged down in a routine that feels dull and unexciting. This is particularly true in the college setting, where the recurring weekly class and extracurricular schedule can feel like an endlessly repetitive cycle: sitting in the same classrooms, seeing the same people, and doing the same assignments is the necessary norm. Even as someone who enjoys and needs a structured routine, sometimes this repetition has me craving something different.
With this in mind, especially as I have become more and more comfortable with my schedule as a student at Providence College, I have tried to be intentional about switching up my routine by changing my surroundings. Something about physically changing my point of view and upending my routine in this small way has a meaningful and effective impact on my day-to-day life as a college student.
This past weekend, for example, I ventured over to Wayland Square, a neighborhood on the East Side of Providence, to get lunch with my family. Seeing that I had never been to this area, I truly felt like I was experiencing the city of Providence in an entirely new way. The window shopping was top-tier, the neighborhood’s side streets were beautiful, and the positive impact the trip had on my overall mood was real—all because of a simple change of scenery just a few miles away from the setting of my typical routine.
Making these small environmental changes in my day-to-day has become a stable source of excitement for me when coursework and extracurriculars become overwhelming. Even when I’m overloaded with work, the method works: I can find a new coffee shop to try and do an hour or two of work there to reset my focus and breathe new energy into how I go about tackling my to-do list.
With that being said, my advice for you this week is to make an effort to change up your scenery in some small way—even if it’s spending time in a spot on campus you haven’t ventured to before. We’re lucky at PC to have free access to the RIPTA, so take advantage of that if you don’t have a car, and give yourself the opportunity to experience a new setting—chances are you’ll enjoy it.