UCI Articles

How to Stalk Someone at UCI

posted Sep 27, 2009, 12:00 AM by Danny Eusebio

So you've met that special guy or gal you really like. Problem is, you didn't quite catch their last name. You two part ways and since UCI is so large, you'll probably never see that person ever again. And by that time, you've probably already lost interest in them. In this tutorial, we are going to show you not only how to find somebody at UCI, but give you the tools to be a full-fledged stalker. Hey, I'm warning you now. If you don't want to learn how to stalk you might as well stop reading this article. But I'm sure you're curious enough to learn how. 
(Image from http://www.thegeminigeek.com)

The UCI Website has made some remarkable improvements since my first year (4 years ago). Just trust me on it. It use to be a pile of crap, sadly to say. For some reason I honestly thought universities made websites so difficult to navigate so students would never apply to their school. Anyhow, if there's ever one thing you want to use on the UCI Website, its the Search Bar. Similar to how you would use Google, using the search bar will help you find UCI related stuff. But honestly, it's poorly explained.

1. Quick: If you select this option (by default), you will normally find the general item your trying to find. If you search for "bookstore" or "gym" you'll normally find your target. However, if you search for something obscure like "welcome week," the "Quick" option will not find anything. So, "Quick" option is useful for general items that has its own dedicated site like the bookstore, the arc, and or library.

2. Full: If you use this option, you will definitely find more information and links. Let's try searching  "Welcome Week one more time and see what results we get.  You'll notice something different. This time you will actually find information on what you were trying to find.

3. People: This last option is probably the crown jewel. If you ever need to track someone down, this is the one to click on. For example, if you search Danny in the list, you'll be shown a slew of names. 

If you have trouble finding a particular "Danny" make sure to use the "checkboxes 1 2 3" to help you isolate a particular person.
So which Danny are you trying to find. Well lets say that the Danny you met mentioned he was an Aerospace Engineer. Well, then you can conclude that its probably not "Danny Botero" or "Danny Chanchang." The Danny you are probably looking for is the 4th guy on the list who has "Engr AE" (Aerospace Engineering) is the one. Now you can click on the name to learn a little more.

When you click on the name you'll be shown a profile:
The majority of time, people will leave their profile blank. It's optional to add a picture if they so choose to.


Now, when you meet that person but don't quite remember their last name. Try using UCI Search to track the person down. After you find out who they are, you can search them up on Facebook to verify that its really them in their profile picture. At that point its up to you if you want to add them. Well, you officially have the tools to track and find someone on campus. You'll probably be known as a stalker now. I'm sure you weren't doing this already.

Find Old Test and Syallabi before you take your Class (for UCI Students)

posted Sep 21, 2009, 3:31 PM by Danny Eusebio

Have you ever wanted to be a detective? Because I have. Here in this tutorial we're going to teach you, how to secretly learn about a class without ever stepping foot in it. I'll even say, you'll not only learn about the syllabus, but you might even scramble yourself a couple of exams along the way. So put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and get that pipe ready, because we're going to show you how to get ahead of your classmates.

  1. Go to ratemyprofessor.com and learn more about your professor there. Hopefully there will be information available on your target to give you a heads up on what they are like. Remember, it's smart to know everything about your professor before you step in. Don't be like the rest of the class, just bobbling their heads.
  2. If your school has a system where you can view your classes and class websites, head over their now. If your fortunate enough, track down older websites from the professor you're taking.  You might be fortunate to find a syllabus and even old exams to give you an advantage in the classroom.
  3. If your professors block their older websites with passwords, then you might find some luck at looking into old mail archives available on your college system. You might be lucky enough to find an email message telling the students what the password was.

You can find some of these tips in the video tutorial I put together. However, this applies only to my school. Hopefully you have a similar system that you can apply the same strategies.


It's always great to have information about a class prior to stepping in. It gives you foresight into whether or not you want to take a class. For instance, if the syllabus shows the class having to write 10 papers, you might benefit from taking it at a different time or with a different professor. Also, some professors put old exams on their website. This is really helpful when it comes to test. Most of the time, professors use the same material for all their exams. So having this information will be helpful to you. So if you have any other tips or tricks to finding more information about your classes, send us an email at Unviersity Ninja.

How to Hack the In-Class Projector During Off Hours

posted Sep 15, 2009, 11:01 PM by Danny Eusebio

So about 3 years ago, I believe UCI made it mandatory for organizations to sign up and pay to use projectors in classrooms. What this meant was that organizations that had smartrooms (the rooms with a computer in the podium controlling the electronics in the class) now needed to pay an hourly rate to use projectors. Now if you're  a new and upcoming organization you'll know that money is awfully tight, especially that yearly registration fee. I mean, you're trying to really spice up your club but these cost just make it harder to do things. So here at University Ninja we offer a special trick you can try (not guaranteed to always work).

So you've registered for a class at Scheduling and Conferences. You'll be asked to let them know if you want to use a projector or not. Obviously you tell them no.

Now, here's the trick(s).

  1. Usually the big UCI Computer Group in the sky controls when Smartrooms can use Projectors. If you schedule a room at 7PM, then they'll either turn on the projector or turn it off [if you told Scheduling  & Conference that you weren't going to use the projector, they will turn it off at 7PM]. So what you can do is make sure to come into the classroom about half an hour before the meeting starts. So if you book the room from 7PM-9PM, then you need to be in the classroom before 7PM. Quickly log onto the computer and turn on the projector. Make sure to be using it. Sometimes its difficult for their system to shutdown the projector remotely when you are using it. However, there is no guarantee that you'll be able to get away with this all the time.
  2. Normally all smartroom classes have projectors which are set to run during normal classroom schedules. If a class after 6PM or so is not booked by an organization, then sometimes the smartroom in that class if not scheduled, will continue to run. So what does this mean. Lets say you plan your meetings in Room 1 at Bren Hall for 7PM with no projectors, however in Room 2, no one has booked that room at all. If you enter Room 2, there is a high probability that the projectors in that room will be working. This could work as a temporary situation for a meeting, but don't count on it. During your next meeting, someone could actually be using Room 2.
  3. Do you have a ladder or a really tall person? If you have long VGA cables and someone very tall, you can directly connect your laptop to the projector in the ceiling. I have not seen this done, but logically it would work. You would just need to disconnect any networking abilities that room might have. For instance, you might have to unplug the power cable from the projector in the ceiling and use an extension cord and plug it into a separate socket. I think the Computer Head is controlling that specific power socket preventing the projector from running. If you find that this works, please let me know.


Remember, there are certain services we are offered at school and if those services are abused then you could definitely lose it. In the case of these hacks, be mindful that you are registered to the room you are using. If something goes wrong in that room in the time slot you are assigned to it, your club is held responsible. Specifically the people who are signers for the club are financially responsible. So be weary. And please don't vandalize the school. We encourage hacks such as these, but not something like stealing the projector. Obviously if your organization has the means to pay for the projector use then use should pay for it.

Which Meal Plan to Buy?

posted Sep 14, 2009, 11:19 AM by Danny Eusebio   [ updated Sep 14, 2009, 11:20 AM ]

You just get out of class and you start to hear your stomach grumbling. It's pretty close to lunch and you wonder if its worth the effort to walk over to UTC or get in your car to head over to Carl's Jr. Why not stay and eat on campus instead? There are some decent food choices like your BC Cavern and Student Center. How about your old friends called the Dining Comons. If you were ever at one point a freshmen you'll remember the dorm food. Mostly everyone despised and hated the dorm food, but if you ask me, it was okay. I mean, come on, when did everyone become a food critic? It might not be a bad idea to stop by your Pippins or Brandywine to grab a meal. You might even consider to buy a meal plan though, it'll save you a few bucks.

Deciding which meal plan to buy

It's never easy to decide which one to take. Should it be the 165 meal plan, 140, or 100. Well here at University Ninja we did all the work for you. Here's the breakdown.

Meal PlanCostFlex DollarCost Per Meal
So if you want to buy the most cost effective meal plan, you'd probably save the most purchasing the 165 meal plan with 50 flex dollars. You might wonder if you'll ever use all the meal plans. Well, if your ever in doubt, you can always sell your meal to a friend. Charging someone $7.00 doesn't seem to be a bad idea for all you can eat.

It's usually more helpful splitting a meal plan with a friend. That way you'll always have someone to go with when you want to eat together at the Dining Commons. Because as an upperclassmen, it gets a little awkward eating with freshmen at Pippins or Mesa Court.

If you have any tips or suggestions, please send us an email at ninjauniversity@gmail.com.

How to Deal with the Annoying Cisco Clean Access Agent

posted Sep 10, 2009, 8:31 PM by Danny Eusebio   [ updated Sep 10, 2009, 8:32 PM ]

So you're finally at UCI and you have your laptop, Ethernet cord, and hopes of joy. No longer do you have to use your rubbish DSL line at home. Now you have access to much faster internet speeds than ever before. So you hook up your laptop and your ethernet plug, while leaving all your stuff unpacked, and as you try to get online your welcomed by "Cisco Clean Access Agent." The first response is usually WTF. Your asked to download a client to run on your computer. And that's when all your problems begin. Please follow the article to learn more about how to prepare yourself for on campus internet. You'll be glad you did.

How to avoid the Cisco Problem altogether:
  1. If you are running Apple Mac Computer, Cisco will let you on the internet right after you download it.
  2. If you are running Linux/ Ubuntu, you don't even need to download Cisco. You just have to login online.
  3. If you use an iPod Touch, you'll be able to get online by just logging in with your UCINETid and password in the Safari Browser.

I know what you're thinking, it's not fair. I'm running Windows, the most popular operating system in the world. Yeah, I know. It's also one of the most vulnerable ones out there too. So that's why Cisco is being used to ensure your Windows based computer is safe to use on the UCI Network.

Here's what to do before you come to UCI Dorms:
  1. Make sure you have an Antivirus Program that is working and up-to-date. That means it better not be on trial software. UCI normally asks students who don't have a paid Antivirus software like Norton to get a free version of McAfee (direct link). Here's the link to the webpage (link).
  2. Install the software and update the crap out of it.
  3. Download all the updates for your computer. (Windows Vista Users). Normally you can just go to Windows Update to download the latest updates for Windows 7, Vista, and XP.

Once you've done the above, your laptop should be like 99% ready to go when you come to the dorms. However, there are occasions where you computer can't get on AT ALL. It's probably the most frustrating experiences ever. You'll need to contact ResNet at your location and have them look at problem. Hopefully the above will work for most users.


Sometimes Cisco will lock you out for no reason. Even though your computer passes the test, it might actually get blocked every now and then. Sometimes you get blocked when you really need the internet. Especially when your procrastinating on a research paper. I've noticed that Cisco will log you off manually every week. You'll notice that you have to manually log in once a week in general. Sometimes you can't get in period. The best solution at that time, is to just leave your laptop/computer on for an hour. Sometimes it takes time for the Cisco Agent to give you access to the internet. I'm not sure if its checking your computer or something, but if you find that all of a sudden your computer can't get online, just give it an hour or so until it goes through. If it still doesn't, then you'll have to contact ResNet

Send username@uci.edu mail with Gmail

posted Sep 10, 2009, 4:56 PM by Danny Eusebio   [ updated Sep 10, 2009, 4:59 PM ]

So you've made the switch. Your forwarding your mail to Gmail. Hat's off to you. However, you realize that you need to send an email to a professor but you end up going back to webmail to send username@uci.edu mail. We just want you to know that you don't have to do that anymore. If you follow the tutorial, we'll show you how to use Gmail to send mail with your UCI account. It's simple fast and easy. Trust me, you'll never have to look at webmail again.

Tutorial: Send UCI Mail using your Gmail Account

Purpose: You want to email a professor, but you don't want your username@gmail.com address to show up, but you want username@uci.edu to show up when you email your professor.  This tutorial will show you how you can send mail through Gmail using your "username@uci.edu" address.  This way, you don't have to log into Webmail anymore.

Difficulty: Easy

1. Sign into your Gmail Account
2. Click on Settings on the top right corner.
3. In Settings, click "Accounts and Imports" Tab

4. In "Accounts and Import" locate the section called "Send mail as:"
5. Press the "Send mail from another address" button
6. A new window will appear prompting you to enter a Name and Email Address.
7. Type your name and your username@uci.edu address and hit "Next Step"

8. Next, make sure the first option is selected, then hit "Next Step"

9. Just press "Send Verification"

10. You will receive an email from Google in your "username@uci.edu" account or in your "gmail account" if you have email forwarding enabled already.  Just open up that email and follow their instructions.

11. Now when you send emails in Gmail, if you look at the "From:" portion, you'll see a drop down arrow.  You can now select your "username@uci.edu"

Forward Your UCI Mail to Gmail

posted Sep 10, 2009, 4:44 PM by Danny Eusebio   [ updated Sep 10, 2009, 4:48 PM ]

This tip is useful for all the new UCI Freshmen students. I know "webmail" is great and all, but come on. You know that I know that it sucks. There isn't a lot of storage space, there's no threading in emails I believe, and there's no integration of other features. So here comes Google to save the day. Instead of using webmail to receive your emails, why not use Gmail. Because it's now even easier to forward your mail to your Gmail account where you'll never have to delete anything. On top of that, your mail can be better organized and searched. So strap yourself in and follow the easy tutorial to start using email like a pro.

Tutorial: Forward your UCI Email to Gmail

Purpose: Instead of using webmail as your sole source for email, you might want to try forwarding your email to Gmail.  For one, you have more space, you have a host of features, and you can even send mail out in gmail as your uci.edu email address.  There's no reason to wait.

Difficulty: Novice (Tricky)

Important: There are a few things you have to do to ensure your transition to Gmail goes well.  Please follow instructions carefully

Options: There are (2) different situations for everyone, listed below are different scenarios. You will fall into one of these category.

Situation 1: I want to keep all email that I have received from my UCI Email account in "Webmail." However, all the new mail I received from my UCI Email address (after today) I wish to send directly to Gmail.  This means I will no longer have my mail sent to my UCI Email address, but it will all get sent directly to Gmail now.

Situation 2: I want all my UCI Email (from the very first one) to get transferred to my Gmail Account.  Also, I want all new UCI mail (after today) to get sent to my Gmail Account.

Tutorial: Situation 1

1.  Make sure you've created a Gmail Account already

2. Navigate to the following web address: http://www.nacs.uci.edu/email/deliverypoint.html

3. At this point, you can follow the instructions from the web address.  Here's a short summary
    a. Go to PhUpdate http://www.uci.edu/cgi-bin/phupdate
    b. Login with your UCInetID and password
    c. If you want your UCI email delivered to another server, click the Other radio button.
    d. Write in your full email address.
    e. Make sure to click "Submit Change Request"

Note: At this point, all you have to do now is wait about 24 hours until you see email start populating into your Gmail Account. To make the full transition read the tutorial called: "Use Gmail to Email with a different email address"

Tutorial: Situation 2

1. Sign into your Gmail Account
2. Click Settings on the top right corner.

3. You will see this new window appear. Click "Accounts and Import"

4. A new window will appear as shown below.  Click on "Import mail and contacts"

5. A new window shown below will appear.  Enter your (UCI Email Address) and hit "Continue"

6. You will be prompted for your password, please enter your UCI Email Address Password. Hit "Continue"

7. A new window may appear as shown below (saying it can't identify your Pop Server).  Just
follow the explanation in the image below and hit continue when done.

8. A new window below will appear giving you some options.  I will explain what each one means below.

    a. This option brings your mail into Gmail (You leave this checked)
    b. This option will keep a copy of your mail in (Webmail). (Optional)
    c. I don't recommend this option (Leave it blank)
    d. Gmail Allows you to put labels. Labels allow you to identify email by "type." You can apply a  label to help you tell if your email that you receive is coming from your UCI Email.  My suggestions is to label it "UCI Mail" or "UCI"

9. After you have Started Importing, give Gmail sometime to retrieve all your emails from "Webmail"

Note: You are not done yet.  Please refer to the other tutorial to learn how to send "UCI Email through Gmail"

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