This article adds to existing literatures on "developmental students," or those placing into non-credit-bearing reading and/or writing classes, by exploring their own personal experiences of attending community college. The findings of this qualitative study, based on a set of semistructured interviews with 18 developmental students in community college, reveal a variety of challenges and motivations related to persistence. Challenges included multiple demands on students' time, difficulty of classes and writing assignments, and students' perceptions of inadequate pedagogy. Students appeared motivated to persist by the opportunity to engage new ideas and serve as a role model for friends and family members. Implications of these findings for helping developmental students persist toward their college degrees are considered. (Contains 3 footnotes.)