There are many factors, for example, if you don't like to study, never you will learn the language that you are studying. However you need time to study the language and it is difficult if you study at university. I am studying English, Portuguese and Russian (emm... I try). With Portuguese I have few problems (it is similar to Spanish), with English I can say basic phrases but I have problems with pronunciation and listening, finally with Russian I know basic phrases, I still don't know the alphabet.

Things are most difficult when you don't like them. I hated my English lessons at school but I really enjoyed them at the University because I had great teachers there. Most of all, I enjoyed reading books and watching movies, as well as listening to my favourite bands whose lyrics were in English. I think I learned most of my English from the latter activities.

So my answer is 50/50: you have to put a lot of effort into it, but if you combine structured lessons with reading and listening to stuff on your own, just for fun, you will progress very quickly.

learn a new language is always hard in advance but if you enjoy it it will be more fun because you need it to communicate and to know each other :)