You may already know about the the AbleSkills Level 2 Technical Certificate in Distance Learning for Plumbing Theory. It is a great way to learn because it gives you the freedom to study and learn the basic theory at your own time and pace.

However, we hear you say, finding the space and the time may not be that easy! Especially after a long day at work, you can return to a house where there is a boisterous 7 year old practising his ski moves on the Wii or teenagers strutting their Rock Band II stuff through the 36 inch plasma with the volume cranked up to eleven! Not to mention the youngest howling because they've just walked headfirst into the door, tales of woe about the car not starting or problems with the neighbours, and unexpected visitors dropping in for a brew!Either way, organising a routine procedure, where you can have an hour or two of peace and quiet to focus on your studying without any distractions, is going to be the number one priority if you want to make good progress.

Everyone will find their own solution. Some will wait till late in the evening when everyone is -or should be- asleep in bed. One hour say, to concentrate on one or two important pages covering an individual section of information. If you find it works for you because you do remember what you have read the next morning, then it's obviously a good schedule to keep up.

You may decide to wake up really early and study for an hour before breakfast. Sometimes, this will wake others in the house who will wander in to find out what's going on and disturb you. You might also be tempted to munch on a piece of toast and not really concentrate because you are dropping crumbs! You might decide to give in to early breakfast pangs and quit after reading two or three lines. Yep - it's a real test of discipline.If you can, then also setting aside some regular time at the weekend will help - you can use this period to check if you have rememembered what you have learnt from the previous week. There is a Self Assessment section at the back of each of the training manual units, which is designed to help test your memory.

Another useful way is to announce to the household that you are studying at a set time on a particular day in a separate part of the house - and remind everyone when you start each time! Thinking about organising your home study time can be a daunting prospect but once you organise a regular routine, then it will become a habit that you will not want to break.