Frankly, this is embarrassing to me, and I don't know what to tell my mother and the rest of my family. I've let them down tremendously, and I don't know how I can make it up to them. Obviously, I am going to try my hardest next semester to achieve the kind of grades I should be getting, but that doesn't help me right now. My biggest concern is finding a way to break the news to my mother. Any type of advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
There are two big adjustments successful students must make in college: 1) Studying when you aren't usually in the habit of studying, like on Saturday mornings or between classes. 2) Realizing that there will be fewer grades in college from which professors compute your final grade. A high school class generally gives a student more chances to numerically pull up a grade, whereas college does not. Translation: You have fewer chances, so make each assignment really count.
It is essential that you do this self-exam of your first year. If there is anything you can fix over the summer, you have a better chance to improve next term's work. Perhaps you need to work on your writing skills. College professors are looking for more in-depth writing than you may be used to. Maybe you need a quick review of math skills to get ready for next year. If there were any emotional or social issues that got in the way this past year, would counseling help to improve on next term?
You have a lot to do to avoid a re-run in the next term. Telling your Mom is only the first step. If she sees you making a sincere effort to improve the situation, she may be less upset. By the way, I don't think this is anyone else's business but your parents', and they should respect your privacy as a young adult and not tell everybody in the family. Good luck with this.