One of the most hated sounds on earth comes from the world’s nightstands every morning. It’s the deeply dreaded shrill cry of the morning alarm clock. ETSU junior Brandon Cox would most definitely stifle his alarm if he could.

Being a full-time student and a full-time employee working 40-hour weeks makes for only five or so hours of sleep every night, but through Brandon’s eyes, this intensely driven lifestyle is worth it in the long run; and he loves it.

Brandon’s days start early in his small Jonesborough apartment. He’s up quickly, out the front door and into his blue 1995 Honda Accord. He’s most likely wearing comfortable clothes such as sweats or sweatshirts, and don’t be surprised to spot a logo or two of his favorite NFL team – the Washington Redskins.

Brandon Cox, in a rare free moment.

Brandon works at Citi, a company that controls everything from banking and credit cards to loans and investing. The division Brandon works in is in charge of following up on Home Depot loans and collecting payments, so Brandon spends most of his time on the phones. He is polite and understanding, he says, but he can definitely lay down the law if he needs to.

“Oh, I’m not afraid to raise my voice,” he says jokingly. “Sometimes I have to deal with people that either have problems with the way we are doing things or are slow on payments. I’ve pretty much learned to handle them all.”

Not a bad skill for a public relations degree. And perhaps that’s the most interesting point about the busy life that Brandon leads. Not only does he have the opportunity to learn about people skills and management during his classes, he also is blessed with the means to use these skills as he learns them. And Brandon does just that. He uses his time as a living learning lab.

“It’s actually been really helpful,” he says. “It’s nice to have a job that relates to what I’m studying every day within my major. It helps me to see how I can apply the things I’m learning to real situations in a workplace.”

His average workday goes from 1:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and, no surprise, Brandon says he is ready to be home when ten o’clock rolls around. That usually doesn’t mean sleep, though,
because as soon as he can get back to his Jonesborough apartment, he’s back in student mode. He stays up late studying and writing papers to get ready for the day ahead.

Its a routine Brandon has grown accustomed to. “I love everything about my job,” he says with a smile. “It’s really enjoyable.”

As for that sleep deficit…

“I drink at least six cups of coffee a day at work,” he says, and he’s definitely going to need every bit of it – to get him through to  tomorrow morning’s alarm.