hey there,
well I might not be the best person to answer your questions... I went with Bristol distance course.
it took me 5 months altogether, but I definitely had no time for a side job.
The only thing I can help you with is, if you are motivated, distance learning is not that hard.
read the course, use avexam, reread the course, avexam practice mode. Take a lot of notes during 1st reading. Right down the essential when reading the second time.
i did hour building in the US.