retrieving UNIX passwd.

Hi,
I am a new UNIX user. We have just been introduced to the UNIX OS envoirment in our school.We basically have accounts for each student in our class where we program in C.One of the student has lost her passwd(rather can't remember it).We know the username but the passwd is gone.
The only way i know is to copy the etc/passwd file and use some program like john the ripper to find the passwd.I am not sure if it will work.Is there another way out?
If yes pls explain keeping in mind that I am new to the UNIX envoirnment.
If there is no solution other than the one I have listed pls explain the proper way to do it!

Help would be appreciated!

Abhinav!

It's designed to be hard to get the password from /etc/passwd (impossible if you use shadowed passwords), the real solution is to just change the user's password with passwd. If root does it, they don't need to know the old password.

Get the administrator to reset the password is the easiest and logical thing to do.