Magic Forums

I'm not necessarily new to magic but I am still it's the ameteur level. I know magic works completely different than how it's showed in the media but are there things that are similar ? Like what if I need to use a defense spell or chant right on the spot? Would it work ? And also, I think I read somewhere that the more experience a witch has, the less he/she has to use spells for simple things. Would that be true?