# Proteus. Again. Argh.



## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

so...

i did finally get my course stuff through....

sent off the multiple choice questionaire, and i'm still waiting for the assignments to come back...
it's been about a month now that i've been waiting for this bit...

now..

the Princes Trust want me to do some promotional work with them, being as they have never approved a development award for a Herpetology course before... they said it would be in newspapers, and poss on the radio as well...

but...

there's not a chance i'm going to do some positive promo about the course, and stuff (the promo is for the Princes Trust, not Proteus) when i've had such a bad time of it! 

i just wish i'd gone straight for the Compass one now  

sami


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

loads of peoples had trouble at least you got some stuff come through, some people had no replies at all, isnt Proteus the only recognised herp qualification like that, because its city and guilds I believe where as compass isnt, it would be good to get some promotion of courses done.


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

Proteus isn't actually accredited at the moment.  

so it's no qualification at all.


and to be completely honest, i wouldn't promote it at all after this..
this is my problem now. 

The princes trust were great, and it's them i'd be promoting.. it's just because it's something different they want me to do it...

sami


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

so is proteus not a city and guilds qualification


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## vikki_john (Jul 16, 2007)

Does the herpetology course proteus teach actualy herpetology, science of reptiles and amphibs. or keeping methods etc ?


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

it's more keeping methods. 

i really wish i hadn't bothered now...

i still want to do the compass ones, now i've wasted time, and Prince's Trust's money on this one! 

maybe i can still get my money back, and go to Compass. 

something to think about. 

sami


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## vikki_john (Jul 16, 2007)

This might sound stupid but you guys keep and breed ya own reptiles and ya learn along the way. why go on and do a course on ya hobby ?


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## Stubby (Jan 30, 2007)

Well, I've just emailed them *again* about the coursework I submitted before Easter. The only reply I've had so far was to confirm that they'd recieved the work.

Sigh...



> This might sound stupid but you guys keep and breed ya own reptiles and ya learn along the way. why go on and do a course on ya hobby ?


As I rent rather than own a house I'm currently unable to own pets, but I intend on getting a reptile as soon as I am able to do so without worrying what I'd have to do with it if I needed to move again etc, so in the meantime I plan on learning as much as I can about reptiles, however I can. The course was interesting to do, its just Proteus' communications that have been appalling unfortunately.


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## Kellybee (Oct 13, 2006)

Unfortunately thats been the case for as long as I can remember. I did have a mobile number for them somewhere I'll see if I can dig it out tomorrow


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## leogirl (Oct 1, 2006)

theres been so many people including myself moaning how crap proteus is, why people continue to go on the course ill never know.

apparently they sent my work back yesterday, but theres a postal strike. so give it another year i might hear something!


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2007)

sorry to hear that.
i was thinking of doing one...now not so sure


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## JAM3S (Jan 17, 2007)

i nearly nearly signed up but after speaking to them on the phone they seemed so disorganised i decided not to bother. strikes me as they cant cope with the amount of people that want to do the course..... could be wrong though.


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2007)

maybe theres a gap in the market for someone else to do a deacent one?


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

yeah, there definately is...

the compass one looks so much better. i just did the proteus one cuz it was so well known! 

i did the course, as i want to have a business / shop eventually. it looks good for people you are applying for loans to, and obviously for customers, for you to have Herp qualifications, as it shows (in theory) that you know what you are doing. 

i'm doing animal management national diploma this year, so it will just add to that. 


i tried the mobile number, but it's unobtainable, and the 08703 number i *finally* managed to find online was just constantly engaged... 
it's impossible to search for proteus reptile trust online ~ you just get links to other sites... reptile rescue sites etc. 
yesterday, their website wouldn't load at all.

i'm just so fed up of it.. i haven't really learnt anything from it.. but it was supposed to look good on paper.

ah well. these things happen i suppose


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## leogirl (Oct 1, 2006)

for the amount you actually learn its not worth the money at all. but if anyone does the compass one let me know how it goes!


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## Guest (Jul 27, 2007)

hope you get it sorted.
they need a good kick up the bum!


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

will do. 

just need to raise the money to do the compass one, but it's double the price! 

just hope it's worth it.

sami


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

They will be getting a swift kick up the bum, one of those numbers will connect one day. 

Mason


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## Guest (Jul 28, 2007)

any luck yet?


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

I've been trying to get thru to Proteus for months now, infact, it might be over a year. All they ever do is send me a price list, when I need to know dates of the practical bits. Rubbish!

For anyone wanting to do a herp course theres one at Sparsholt College, its a distance learning one and you go down for the practical weekend, I think its called Exotic Management and its more to do with husbandry and ethics I think. I'm hoping to do it this year but I'm not in the country for the induction day so I don't kno if I can


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## Guest (Jul 29, 2007)

miffikins said:


> I've been trying to get thru to Proteus for months now, infact, it might be over a year. All they ever do is send me a price list, when I need to know dates of the practical bits. Rubbish!
> 
> For anyone wanting to do a herp course theres one at Sparsholt College, its a distance learning one and you go down for the practical weekend, I think its called Exotic Management and its more to do with husbandry and ethics I think. I'm hoping to do it this year but I'm not in the country for the induction day so I don't kno if I can


thats really crap...they shouldnt get away with it


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

that sounds cool. but there's already too many i want to do now! 

there's about 3 compass ones...

and a couple from the BSY group. i want to do a diploma in Pet Psychology with them.. get letters after your name and everything! 

BSY Group

 

sami


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

That BSY course looks quite good. Its pretty cheap too.


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## Stubby (Jan 30, 2007)

leogirl said:


> apparently they sent my work back yesterday, but theres a postal strike. so give it another year i might hear something!


I got the same email from them today...after sending a shirty one to ask what was happening. Let's see how long it takes to turn up.


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## blood and guts (May 30, 2007)

There is of course a very big flip side, proteus are a very large reptile rescue group and extremely limited on time and resources.

Its a shame they have had problems and got well behind as they do some very very good work.


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

don't get me wrong, i'm sure they do great work. 

it's just that i (well, the Princes Trust) have paid them money for a service that i have recieved, but very slowly. 

it's the time it's taken to get anything from them that i'm annoyed about. 

i really wish i had gone to Compass instead. the course is more in depth, and looks more interesting. 

i definately won't bother with the level 3 from Proteus now. 

and Tops ~ with the BSY one... you can even pay monthly! gonna start as soon as i've paid everything off. 
you can get a free prospectus, and if you wait long enough before you actually go for it. you get vouchers for £20 off. i even got one for £20 off, and buy one, get one free!  

sami


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

quixotic_axolotl said:


> and Tops ~ with the BSY one... you can even pay monthly! gonna start as soon as i've paid everything off.
> you can get a free prospectus, and if you wait long enough before you actually go for it. you get vouchers for £20 off. i even got one for £20 off, and buy one, get one free!
> 
> sami


The only problem with the BSY is it doesnt really mention exotics. I think it said Iggys. Its a handy one to have though anyway with all the pets around these days. I might look into doing it actually.


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## leogirl (Oct 1, 2006)

Stubby said:


> I got the same email from them today...after sending a shirty one to ask what was happening. Let's see how long it takes to turn up.


let me know if you here anything else or if your stuff actually turns up. if it doesnt come soon im going to through a spoilt child hissy fit :whip: almost 6 months ago (atleast!) i handed in my work


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

To think you've spent all that money on the course, which if I'm right is like 200 quid, you'd think they'd be able to get it back to you much quicker. Its daft. I don't think I'm goin to bother with it, I'm goin to ring Sparsholt today and try to blag my way onto the Exotic management course, apparently it will be good for when I apply for my zoo internship 

That BSY one looks good too...maybe I could do that and then convince my cat not to poo behind the TV...


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## sami (Oct 23, 2006)

haha that would be useful! 

my assignments arrived today...

i think i know which ones i'm going to do.. :lol: 

will get it back to them as soon as i can, and wait on the results 

sami


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## Stubby (Jan 30, 2007)

Just to let folks know, I got my results from Protues a couple of weeks back. I've hung of posting because I was kind of expecting to get a copy of the marked/assessed work back as well so was waiting for that to arrive, but the main thing is, I did get my results


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## argentine_boa (Feb 10, 2007)

Stubby said:


> Just to let folks know, I got my results from Protues a couple of weeks back. I've hung of posting because I was kind of expecting to get a copy of the marked/assessed work back as well so was waiting for that to arrive, but the main thing is, I did get my results


Well done. Well at least someone has. I have emailed them several times and I think they are ignoring me as they are getting back to everyone else but not me :bash:


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## SnakeMadJack (Sep 13, 2007)

I've started a course with the Exotic Animal Care College on Royal Python Care which is 8 modules long and seems really good and covers the subject in sufficient detail. They always get back to my emails fairly quickly too (usually within hours).


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## jonosd (Sep 4, 2007)

once you have obtained this qualification, what can you use it for? like what kinda job etc


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## SnakeMadJack (Sep 13, 2007)

I'm not doing the course to help me get a job, I'm just doing it to learn as much as possible about Royal Pythons - just to satisfy my interest.


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