01 civic shifting DIFFICULT and SQUEEKY

hey guys i recently purchased a 2001 civic ex with a manual 5 speed. the car has only 49,000 miles.

heres the problem:
when i shift from 1st to 2nd
and PARTICULARLY from 3rd to 4th..

there is difficulty shifting like there is a rubber-like obstruction in the shifting machanism. i say rubber-like because it sounds sqeeky, and does NOT grind.

this also happens basically whenever i shift across gears (1-2, 1-4, 2-1, 2-3, 3-4, 4-3).

the only way i can shift without this problem is to shift out of gear, jiggle the shifter a little, then shift into gear. the jiggle seems to loosen whatever is causing it to get stuck. without doing this, the shifter will NOT go into gear, it will pop back into neutral.

is this a common problem within 7th generation civics and if so, what is it?!

thanks guys!

does it have a short shifter on it? it may be hitting the exhaust