Since I have started writting my thesis, or merely the M.Eng project, I have to think about my defense. The faculty has just imposed a 2+2 weeks rule, that is the paper has to ciruculate two weeks before the defense and the defense has to be at least two weeks before the submission. That implies even I can finish writting my paper before the end of this term, my defense will be schedule in january. One of my colleague, Ivy, has started the program about same time as me and she is having her defense tomorrow. At first I would like to tag along and check out how the format of the defense. But she refused let people see her defense to avoid having unncessary pressure. Althought I can still find out the room and time and just sit in, but I don’t want to be rude. Since I objective is to check out a defence, which can be any defense. I tagged along with Ivy to check out someone else’s defense today. The defense is pretty straight forward, 30 minutes of presentation followed by Q&A session. The professors and your own supervisor will usually go easy on you, not asking tough questions. The audience can also ask questions, but most of them are like us, sitting in just to prepare for their own defense, they usually are polite enough not to give the defender a hard time. However in today’s session, a guy from Mainland China is being rude, he tried to drill the defender with hard questions. This act really shows his lack of proper manner. I hope I won’t encounter one of those guys in my own defense.