I could use some advice on how to tell my boyfriend something important.

[luvhelpplease]

I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for about 5 months. I know him well though, we have been friends for several years. I work almost full time, and had gone back to college a few months before dating him. He has been very supportive about my studies.
Over the past month, things have been very stressful in my life (not relating to my boyfriend) the stress comes mainly from family issues, as well as work, and it has gotten in the way of my success in school. As a result, I will not be graduating when I was expecting. I don't know how to tell my boyfriend, since he has been so supportive, and really expresses how proud he is. I am mostly disappointed in myself, I don't want to disappoint him, but he needs to know. I would just like some advice on how to tell him.
I forgot to mention: The program that I am in started in January, and goes through he summer. It is hard to get time off of work during summer months, and because I work late, I am too tired to put much effort into my homework. I know it really boils down to my own decisions, but I want to be very open and honest in my relationship. He does know I've been having some trouble, but is still very optimistic that I am going to graduate. This is why I am finding it so hard to tell him that I won't be, at least not when I had anticipated.
I don't know if I've posted this question in the right place. This is my first thread, but it is something I could use opinions for. I am not good at letting people down. I have really been sort of sugar coating the truth, because he knows I am having trouble, and the stress I've been dealing with. But with regards to my grades, I haven't told him that they really aren't good. Any advice would be appreciated, thank you.

[HeartIsAching]

Be honest. Just tell him the truth. His reaction will tell you all you need to know about his character.

[basilandthyme]

HIA is right about seeing his character. Truth is, if he's terribly disappointed in you, then he's not the kind of man you want to be with.

[luvhelpplease]

Thank you for your replies. The truth is that I am embarrassed about it. I was doing really well to begin with, then things started happening in my life, and my grades started slipping. I know that it is my own issue, I'm not really afraid that he will be extremely disappointed in me. I just feel embarrassed about it, and nervous to tell him.

[michelle23]

There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Just tell him the truth. You are overwhelmed and finding it difficult to balance everything and because of that-you will need to graduate late as you have not had enough time to focus on your studies due to working late nights

Hun hes not your dad, he is your bf. The fact that you need to graduate late should have no affect on him at all. If he reacts badly then he is not the right guy for you. He should be supportive.

[VerticalMoon]

Speaking from my own experience and those of others I know, once you start feeling ashamed of how you're doing in school, it makes it so much harder to get back on track. Every time you think of school, you feel horrible about yourself, so you start to avoid it even more. The best way to break cycle is to go easy on yourself. My husband is returning to school now. If something like this happened to him, I'd care much less about the grade or the time it takes him to graduate. What I'd care a lot more is that he can feel comfortable returning to school and continuing with the work. If you think your boyfriend is going to be supportive, then you should just tell him. If you don't think he'd be supportive, then you don't have to.

You really have nothing to be embarrassed about. You should be proud of yourself for even returning to school. A lot of people wouldn't even have done that. You had some difficult life circumstances that got in the way. It could have happened to anyone. Just pick yourself up and focus on taking things one step at a time from here on out. If you continue having problems, you might want to consider talking with a professional therapist about them. Good luck!

[4 ratties]

You'll feel much better after you just come out and tell him.. I would tell him ASAP so that u can feel better and carry on with support

[TablesandChairs]

You shouldn't be feeling so hesitant; a partnership means being able to share your struggles, not just your successes. You're not a failure, you were just overwhelmed. I was doing my Masters and working full time; it was painful. I failed a subject simply through non-submission, I didn't get the time to do it. It's an exhausting process but a huge relief when it's done.

[Yuna]

I had the same problem before with my ex. My graduate was a year delayed cuz I had missed some credits and i didn't do well in some classes. It was kinda hard to tell him because I felt embarrassed. Even though his first reaction was that I could do better, he eventually just comforted me and say that he'll motivate me and make me stay on track. Since he knew this news, he would make sure i spend more time studying and he would reward me whenever I did well. It really helped me to get through school and everything. So you should just tell him without worrying!