First days are rarely what the brochure promises. They are usually a mix of sheer terror, misguided confidence, and the immediate realization that you know absolutely nothing. I’ve had three distinct “First Days” that defined me, and only one of them involved me not wanting to crawl under a rock.

The Fresher: Books, Girls, and Blurry Knowledge

My first day as a university fresher was less of an academic debut and more of a social experiment gone wrong. The campus was huge, the lectures were loud, and my brain decided that all previous knowledge was non-essential, apparently deleting itself to make room for panic.

The books? They looked back at me with judgment. I went in ready to conquer my degree, only to feel like I’d forgotten how to read. I wasn’t exactly known for being ‘good with my books’ back then; my focus was generally… elsewhere.

But the absolute worst part was the girls. They existed in an entirely different, untouchable dimension of confidence and grace. My ability to communicate went from ‘fluent’ to ‘stuttering caveman’ the moment a ponytail entered my field of vision. My strategy was simple: stare intensely at my shoes and pray no one asked me a question that required complex social answers, like, “Hello.”

The Public Relations Officer: Stress and Superstars

I jumped straight from being a terrified, book-shunning student to a Public Relations Officer (PRO) for a famous artist in Nigeria. It sounded glamorous—it was chaos.

My first day felt like managing a five-alarm fire while simultaneously trying to invent the fire extinguisher. The stress was immediate, exhilarating, and completely overwhelming. Dealing with media crises, scheduling, appearances, and the general whirlwind of celebrity life meant I never had a moment of peace.

But living through that constant, high-pressure chaos was the best thing that ever happened to me professionally. I had to learn how to write sharp, perfect press releases under impossible deadlines. That job was my masterclass in hustle, exposing me to the inner workings of the Nigerian music industry and teaching me how to perfect my writing—a skill I use every single day now as an educational director. It was stressful, yes, but it cracked open a world of opportunity.

The Parent: The Best Day That Never Ends

There are first days that shape your career, and then there’s the first day you become a parent. That was it. Everything else—the memory of crippling shyness, the career stress, the need for sleep—vanished. It also made my relationship with God stronger.

It wasn’t just a good moment; it was, without exaggeration, the best moment of my entire life. Holding my child for the first time felt like my heart suddenly realized it was supposed to be beating outside my body, and now it had a name and tiny fingers.

It’s the only first day that wasn’t stressful, hilarious, or awkward. It was just pure, unadulterated, terrified, perfect love. And that’s a first day I’ll gladly relive forever.

In all God is good.