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Students how 2
A newsletter for you, the college student who wants to learn how to do everything better, easier or cheaper

Featured stories

How to get into

guitar

Create the viral

TikTok Students How 2 is a must-read for
college students eager to enhance
spaghetti
their skills, simplify tasks, and
save money; from study hacks and
time management strategies to
budget-friendly recipes and smart
shopping tips, student how 2 is a
treasure trove of practical advice.
Each issue is thoughtfully curated
to empower students with the
knowledge and tools needed to
navigate college life more efficiently.

How to get into
guitar
By: Sean Sullivan
Congratulations, you just got your
first guitar, or you’re thinking of
getting one. Now, how do you start
playing? Many new beginners get
stuck and do not know how to get
on the right track. However, don’t
be discouraged. Here are some tips
for getting into the guitar world.
Getting a guitar
The first step to playing is having
a guitar. If you have already
acquired your guitar, you’ve
completed half of the first step. If
not, I suggest buying an acoustic
guitar at a music store. Before
going to the store, have a budget in
your head. For your first guitar, try
not to spend any more than $300.
“Find a guitar that feels the best,
not just looks, hold it, and get a
feel for it,” said Jacob Miller, a
guitarist of 14 years who works
at McFayden Music located in
Greenville, North Carolina. He
helps new people select and repair
guitars.
Try out multiple guitars and find
which guitar feels best when sitting
with it. In my past experiences, it
was beneficial to try out multiple
guitars. Don’t be afraid to ask
questions while at the store. Once
you have the guitar, you’re ready to
start playing.
Getting a feel
When you first sit down with
your new guitar, get a feel for it.
Get a sense of the neck and body.
Photo By: Sean Sullivan
Acoustic guitar
When looking at the neck, you
will notice multiple metal pieces
going up the neck to the head.
These are frets; they show where to
place your fingers on the fretboard
to play notes and form chords.
Practice pressing down in between
the frets on the tips of your fingers.
It may initially hurt when you press
down, but this is normal. With
continual practice, you will build
up your fingertip strength.
Inspiration
The guitar is one of the most
popular instruments that spans
many genres of music. So, there are
many guitarists out there to listen
to. When first learning to play, try
listening to more guitar-centered
songs. Find a guitarist who amazes
you and look into them. Exploring
a famous guitarist’s catalogue can
1 2
be great motivation when learning.
A guitar influence can dictate what
genre you want to learn first.
Learning how to play
There are plenty of sources you can
use for learning. The internet has
many websites with tutorials and
lessons. However, many websites,
such as fender.com, charge for
lessons and tutorials. Plenty of free
resources can be used if you want
to avoid paying. YouTube is an
excellent platform with free lessons
and tutorials from multiple content
creators. If learning online isn’t
for you, music stores offer lessons.
Just know that music store lessons
are typically not free; prices range
from $30 to $60 an hour.
Continued on p.2
Photo By: Sean Sullivan
Practice, practice, practice
The most important part of
playing guitar is practicing. Many
beginners will play for a week, put
it down, and not touch it again.
Typically, these beginners stop
due to fingertip pain or difficulty
in learning. Try practicing for 15
minutes every day at the beginning
to see if this instrument is for you.
“At first, I would play for 20
minutes a day when first starting.
This was because my parents
would make me, then after a while,
I fell in love and would play for
hours,” said Jake Thompson, a
bass guitarist in the music school at
ECU.
If you are frustrated while learning
a song, take a break and return to it.
The worst thing you can do when
you’re angry is give up.
Have fun
Hopefully, these tips have put
you in the right direction for
learning this beautiful instrument.
Getting past the beginning steps
may be difficult, but putting in the
work can pay off. You can have
endless amounts of fun learning
songs or even writing originals.
Who knows? Maybe learning the
guitar inspires you to learn more
instruments. So, start practicing
and remember to have fun.
Electric guitar being played
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Create the viral
TikTok spaghetti
By: Shamiraka Jackson
TikTok is a social media platform
known for creating, sharing and
discovering short videos from
content creators in more than
40 countries. It has become
increasingly popular in the social
media community, having over
3 billion downloads and over 1
billion users each month. There has
been a rise in the popularity of food
content on the platform, which has
led to numerous food trends going
viral. One, in particular, is the viral
TikTok Spaghetti, which has users
in a frenzy trying to create and
taste the new way of making baked
spaghetti.
Popularity
The viral TikTok Spaghetti is
taking social media by force with
content creators, celebrities, and
food critics trying their version
of the meal. Kimberly Nichols
owner of Kimmy’s Kreations,
said “Everyone likes their food
made with their style, however, it’s
important to try new things and
share these experiences because
you never know if it might interest
other people.” Nichols is a well-
known social media influencer,
known for her unique cooking
recipes, and is one of many
creating this meal. Nichols has over
3 million followers on TikTok, 2.3
million followers on Instagram,
and over 684,000 subscribers on
YouTube.
Nyasia Porter, a culinary arts
graduate in the food service
industry who attended Johnson and
Wales University, says, “Food can
be a way of expression, and it is
amazing to see people share and
try different versions of recipes on
social media platforms.”
The ingredients for tiktok
spaghetti
•Ground beef •Heavy cream
•Marinara sauce •Spaghetti noodles
•Garlic •Shredded parmesan and
mozzarella cheese
•Salt and pepper •Italian seasoning
•Garlic and onion powder •Butter
•Onions •Green peppers (optional)
Prep your meal
The first step is preheating your
oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray a 9 inch by 13 inch baking
dish with a nonstick cooking spray.
Sit this aside and start boiling your
spaghetti noodles, adding salt and
olive oil to the water.
Next, you should start to “brown”
your ground beef. Place your
ground beef in a skillet over
medium-high heat. Break up the
beef and add salt, pepper, garlic
powder, and onion powder to your
meat. Onions and green peppers
are optional, but if you desire, add
those into the skillet as well. Cook
until the ground beef is no longer
pink and the veggies have softened.
This should take approximately
8-10 minutes. After your beef has
cooked, drain the excess grease
and add your marinara sauce to
3 4
Photo By: Shamiraka Jackson
Ingredients needed for spaghetti
Continued on p.4
the skillet. Let this simmer on low
heat while you get started on your
alfredo sauce.
In a pot melt half a stick of butter
and add your chopped garlic. Stir
in the heavy cream, parmesan
cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and
pepper. Cook until the cheese is
melted thoroughly and the sauce
has thickened. Add your spaghetti
noodles into the alfredo sauce,
stirring until the noodles are evenly
coated in the sauce. Pour this into
your 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish
you had set to the side. Top your
alfredo spaghetti noodles with
your meat sauce, making sure it
is evenly distributed across the
pan. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese,
parmesan cheese, and parsley on
top of your meat. Bake in the oven
for 15 minutes or until the cheese
is nicely melted to your preference.
Serve with your choice of salad or
Finished spaghetti
garlic bread.
Both the content for this newsletter and the design are
created by students enrolled in COMM 3310 Copy
Editing and Design in the School of Communication at
East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina,
during the Spring and Fall semesters under the direction
of course instructor Barbara Bullington. We welcome
suggestions for article ideas for future issues. For
inquiries, please email bullingtonb@ecu.edu
Photo By: Shamiraka Jackson