[quote=@Freeshooter92]
<Snipped quote by EliteCommander>

IF. YOU. HAVE IT. If you don't, you're fucked. and it's more reasonable to assume one doesn't if in doubt. And if they don't? There is literally nothing one can do. Even if you don't have armor you can still try to avoid sword slashes, you aren't completely out of options if you don't have the one, ONLY defense like in Psychomancy.
[/quote]

If you're not an agile individual, then in a practical sense, you're not going to be dodging a mage's magic. In order to counter any magic, you have to have the skills to do so. Being mages in the college, I would say that it is reasonable that most students would want to pick up wards. 

Also consider that to really manipulate someone's mind, you have to be pretty high level. A successful psychomantic attack will not kill like with other bloods.