Hi newlease36, thank you for the advices! I have a quite good academic curriculum, maybe I should really start searching for research assistant vacancy...
Anyway you are completely right!! During my past academic years (and also now with this PhD thing) I based my self-esteem on my academic results, which is not a healthy thing as you said.. Thank you for your message, it is very helpful!! I know that a PhD is not everything, but I think that it is good to hear it from someone else that has been through the same things..

Hi everyone! It's almost one and a half year that I'm really working hard to find a PhD but, since now, I only failed and I'm feeling I should quit searching because I'm not good enough ... But what else should I do in my life?? I'm feeling as a living failure.. I'm reallt sorry to always come here and complain but it's a very difficult time for me, I'm lost..

Thank you TreeofLife and newlease36!! But if I apply to another PhD and I get the position more interesting/paid/whatever, what should I say to this professor? I'm worried about his reaction on losing his time and waste of energy... I don't know if he knows that a student search for a lot of opportunities in order to get a PhD.. I need a book of good manners for PhD applicants!!

Hi everyone! I really need an advice from all of you. I've found a possibility for a PhD but it's not funded so, together with the professor who offered me the position, I'm writing a project for a scholarship... But it's a very competitive one and I don't know if it will have a positive result!! Do you think that, at the same time, I should search for other PhD?

I'll try to relax, thank you so much for your support Tudor_Queen!! :-)

Thank you Tudor_Queen!! I've just done it: there was only one professor, who is the one I talked with in all the e-mails, and he also interviewed me the first time, but he said he wanted to talk again. He asked me approximately the same questions and he told me I'll have a definitive answer by the end of tomorrow. I don't think it was a good interview though...

Thank you Ephiny!! I'll try to stay positive and thank you for all the suggestions about the questions they will ask, maybe as you said there will be different people interviewing me. This forum really helps me because I know there's someone out there who is (or was) in a similar situation!

Update: yesterday I received an email which says that they want a 2nd skype interview. I think it sounds positive (I thought it was an awful interview), but now the question is: what will they ask? In the 1st interview they asked me about exams I did on my bachelor and master degrees, my thesis, the reason why I want to do a PhD (generally speaking) and in which research topics of their department I'm interested in. I don't know anything about the exact project because they didn't tell me what that will be. So, again.. What will they ask? I'm really confused, because I thought they would have said yes or no to the application.. I'm sorry for my blabbering, I'm just anxious!

I think you should reflect on 2 things: 1) if you can live for 4 years in a place you don't like 2) about the ranking, you should check not the university itself but maybe the group that offers the position (publications, conferences and so on).
I can completely understand your feeling of "What if no one offers me anything as good as that", I think it's normal!

Hi everyone! I have a problem: I'm from Italy and a belgian university told me they are interested in my CV and in doing a research project with me, but they don't have any open position or any scholarship, so they told me to find one. Do you think that it is worth the effort? And have you got any website in order to find any scholarship? I read this thread http://www.postgraduateforum.com/thread-7105/ and I found this website http://www.internationalscholarships.com/ but maybe there are other available websites.
Thanks everyone for your help!

Thank you Tudor_Queen!! The interview was really good, the professor told me that my CV is very interesting and that in a few months they will have funding! The university must advertise the job so I'll have to applicate...

Thank you TreeofLife, I already read that thread and I found it very encouraging!!! :-) I'll have my result only after 3 weeks.. But tomorrow I've got another skype interview, I hope it will be better!!

Hi everyone! Yesterday I had my first (and only by now) skype interview for a PhD position... I think it wasn't good, I didn't answer 1-2 questions and I think I gave them some answers on why I would like to do a PhD that they didn't like. Is normal the feeling that everything went bad? It really upsets me!