1998 Volvo S70 Clutch

Hi, I am 17 and a couple of nights ago when I left work and started to drive home there was a grinding noise and I had to push really hard to get into each gear. ( It had been fine driving to work?) Downshifting was not a problem. The sound has gone away, but it is still really tough to change from 1 - 4th gear. 5th works fine. Again, downshifting is just like it always was. This is my first car (I have had it for 3 months) and I would appreciate some advice on what to be looking for.