I just accepted this PhD offer only for them not to give me funding. donno what to do with my life now...just keep applying, give up? the other uni refused totally to consider my application- my proposed supervisor has too many students to supervise!! what should i do? give up? keep trying elsewhere?

Please, don't give up! You don't want to regret this for the rest of your life. Give it a new try! Get a new list of universities with the departments specialising in your field. Choose a professor in each of them, write to them by e-mail, proposing what you have in mind for research and telling a bit about yourself. I am sure you will get some positive replies. Then read a lot of research articles in your area and write a well-prepared research proposal, send to the ones who got interested.

... (Continuation)...
If everything goes fine, ask if they know of any funding available. Also write to PhD office asking the same info. Don't waste your time applying to the departments that don't offer funding. It's better if there are several sources of funding available - at the department level and the university.
I am applying for the second year on a row, and this time it looks like I am going in the right direction (as described above). That's why I am writing "Future PhD student". Hope it will help you too!!!

I think Alex is right I would definately go with the approaching people you are interested in working with, read some of their work and flatter them a bit telling them how interested you are in their work and asking specific stuff related to it (it worked for me)

Dont give up it will be worth it in the end

thanks. you're all so nice. i will try again :).

Don't give up - you'll get there in the end! I know it's disheartening especially since you have set your heart on it! It's taken me ages to get anywhere! I could have done a PhD in the time it's taken to get one (ironic isn't it?) But what I've found really helpful is getting relevant work experience particularly volunteering! I've only started to get offers (funded & unfunded) since I've been volunteering. I also found an area that I'm totally focused on and dedicated to!

Continued ... What area are you interested? Can you get relevant work experience? If not, I would suggest volunteering. This shows you're really keen to do the research and they will remember that! When you are writing research proposals make sure you link your interests closely to that of the prospective dept and state clearly how your research will fit in to XXX research group and contribute to increasing their knowledge. Make it easy for them to see why they should fund you! Good luck and just remember you'll get there! : )

thanks Doodles. i will consider getting a job while i reapply...and volunteering which i've never considered in a long time. my project is in law, so..donno. i'll see what there is out there.

Volunteering as sometimes key. Even though it might seem like a pain to do it, especially if it is not natural for you to do it, you don't know who you might meet while volunteering. When I volunteered, I met the Head of a big trauma surgery program in the US. I told him I was interested. He helped me to get into the University he worked at, as well as made calls for other places. Plus, I got to help some people who had nothing, who couldn't read, much less think about getting any kind of degree.

voulunteering isn't a problem at all. it just has never been possible coz of the work load in my field, which is law. anyway, will sure give it a shot somewhere somehow.