Hadeel:
It is very competitive to gain a PhD, I work on PhD programmes that can receive over 300 applications!! This does not mean you should give up on your dream, far from it. My advice would be to keep trying and in the mean time get more experience in laboratory research if at all possible. The most competitive candidates that apply have worked in a relevant scientific job, for example in the pharmaceutical industry or even work shadowing in various lab environments. This will help demonstrate your passion and commitment.
The good news is there is no age limit to start a PhD and the more experience you get before the more prepared you are for the PhD research project when you do get started.
We currently have an active scholarship competition open at the University of Sheffield for a wide range of projects across the Faculty of Science. Please see our website for details and contact relevant supervisors if any of the project titles are of interest to you:
https://goo.gl/11vJ9wDeadline is 24th January to apply.
Good luck with your applications
BW
Emily