Anytime! I've done the BOS-PVD trip on both MBTA and Amtrak for years so it's definitely doable. Try to find ways to make the time feel productive and useful, whether that's packing a breakfast/coffee or finding a good headphone and laptop groove. Take a deep breath during unexpected issues.

There was a RIDOT proposal back in 2020 for fare integration, so you could use an MBTA monthly pass to take either the Commuter Rail or Amtrak between Boston or Providence (as well as for RIPTA) - however, it seems that idea has stalled? If anyone on here would benefit from this, it's probably worth sending RIDOT an email to let them know people still want it.

If you know your schedule enough to buy tickets for >3 weeks in advance, Amtrak is actually CHEAPER than the MBTA Commuter Rail. With enough advance notice, and except for known high-utilization times right before holidays, you can get 1-way Amtrak tickets between Boston and Providence for $6.50 to $8.50 (vs. $12.25 for the MBTA).

One distinction however is that Amtrak tickets are for that specific train at that time, while MBTA tickets are usable on any train making that trip on the route. And to echo what other people said, while the MBTA is usually on-time (with a longer, less comfortable trip) barring catastrophic train/system failures, it is not unusual for northbound Amtrak trains to be 30 minutes or >1hr late, but generally not heading southbound. You may want to consider pre-buying your Amtrak tickets and then making a gametime decision to take the next northbound MBTA, rescheduling your Amtrak ticket to a future date for free via the app on the way in (currently there is no fee for doing so, but this could change back to normal in the future).

Just FYI, the Acela is not appreciably faster than the Northeast Regional train between PVD and BOS because it makes all the same stops and its top speed is mostly constrained by track limitations. It is, however, much more expensive.