The Dutch defender joined the U’s in the summer following his exit from FC Utrecht, but had to spend three weeks away from his newborn son while his family made the move from the Netherlands.
He then had to get himself up to speed with the rest of the squad in terms of fitness, with his United debut not coming until the end of October.
ter Avest played the final quarter of an hour from the bench at Sunderland, and was then handed his first U’s start for the visit of Hull City.
It coincided with United switching from their regular 4-3-3 set-up to a 3-4-2-1 formation, as ter Avest lined up as the right wing back.
The 27-year-old made it a full debut to remember as he grabbed the only goal of the game 10 minutes into the second half, when he arrived at the back post to stab home Greg Leigh’s cross.
“It cannot be better. It’s a beautiful night in the end. I think we struggled a little bit in the first half and the second half was way better,” said ter Avest.
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He added: “I’ve got a baby of three months, and they’re here, and we’re all together now. We’re getting sorted and we’re very happy.
“When he was two weeks old, I came here and I couldn’t see him for three weeks, and of course that’s hard.
“I’m very happy now that we are all together. It gives yourself a little bit more rest as well, and more focus on your football.”
Despite the challenges faced, ter Avest has remained upbeat, and he praised the U’s squad for their support from the moment he arrived.
He said: “It’s been good. Since the beginning, I felt very welcome here. It’s a nice group.
“It’s taken time because in the beginning, I had to get fit, and at the end, you have to be patient to get some minutes.
“I made my debut against Sunderland away, and now I could start, and it feels good.”
Having played top flight football in Serie A and the Eredivisie, the win against Hull offered ter Avest a first taste of starting games in English football.
He said: “It’s different. In the first half, I was on my limit a little bit, but the second half was way better.
“How we played, and it got better with ball possession, and that’s what I like.”