There I was, a first-time blogger sitting on my bed with everything that I needed to blog: a laptop here, an iPad there, the latest episode of Quantico on the television, and a family sized bag of Doritos chips. I had everything I needed to write my first blog for the Universities at Shady Grove’s Around the Grove.(USG) But I was paralyzed.

Why was I paralyzed? Lots of reasons. Was I just being Gabe and over thinking everything as was my nature? With no prior experience blogging, where was I supposed to begin? What if I couldn’t cram all my brilliant thoughts into my first blog? Worst of all, what if I put everything together and my blog made no sense? In my home country Guyana, we have a local proverb that says “lil boy nah climb ladder to tun big man,” which means that only time can make you what you will be. And it was at that moment that I truly felt the reality of this proverb.

The anxiety of my first time blogging made me curious as to what other first time experiences discovering USG was providing for others. So I reached out to everyone hoping that they could give me some ideas, pointers, and feedback. Read on for three first time experiences at USG and let our minor traumas be your teachable moments.

1. Scholarship Award: Steve-“This was my first time applying for a scholarship ever, I was pretty nervous throughout the entire process and learning that I was successful made me even more nervous. For the first time, I will be able to cover the cost of my tuition without a loan, thanks to the USG Scholarship.”
2. Dean’s List: Angel-“I work full-time, have a kid and I am also a full-time student so balancing all of this as you can imagine can be difficult. Receiving the letter congratulating me that I was on the Dean’s List brought tears to my eyes. This was the first time I had ever achieved something like this and this definitely would not have been possible without the night owl hours at the Priddy Library.”
3. Attending College: Juan-“Having this campus just 30 minutes away from my home has made it possible for me to attend college for the first time in my life. My family moved a lot when I was younger and the colleges were always about 2 hours away and I was always worried that I would never be able to get a good job without a college degree. I am so grateful that I can get on a bus and easily get here.”

At a place like USG that has so many opportunities sometimes it can get overwhelming. This can often lead to emotions ranging from excitement to apprehension, and in some cases, fear. Fears of the first, my friends call it. And as fellow blogger Joel highlighted in his recent post, the Office of Student Services on campus provides a variety of services to help with this. Check out the amazing new Welcome to USG video that highlights what life at USG is like (the soundtrack alone makes me feel ready for success).

I wish I’d worried a little less about my first blog and enjoyed it a bit more, after all, there’s only one first-time. Tell me about your first-time experiences at USG by commenting here and until next time, I leave you with this, there’s a first time for everything so why not now?