Despite recent turmoil in the Middle East and natural disasters in Japan, next semester many Georgetown students will pack their bags, grab their passports and continue their studies overseas.

According to students, a combination of painstaking, precautionary training by the Office of International Programs, a good dose of common sense and lower levels of danger in reality than in perception make studying abroad in possible danger zones safer than might be expected, making possible risks worthwhile.

Director of Overseas Studies Laurie Monarch stressed that Georgetown does not send students to potentially dangerous regions without proper preparation.

“All students who have been nominated to study abroad attend a pre-departure orientation during the semester prior to being off-campus,” she said. “OIP has developed a special process that students must complete if they are applying for permission to study abroad in countries with travel warnings from the Department of State.”

Permission to study in these countries is granted only when participation in the program doesn’t contradict the advice provided in the travel warning and only in exceptional circumstances.

According to Monarch, students must provide “compelling academic rationale” for studying in such dangerous countries along with demonstrating a high level of preparedness for the risks involved.

Hilary Gallo (COL ’11), who studied in Rabat, Morocco, last year, said that an awareness of cultural standards helped her avoid the troubles females commonly face when traveling in the Middle East.

“As a female, I would say that I encountered more ‘risks’ than my male friends, but that being said, those risks could all be mitigated by knowing the culture and taking steps to respect it,” she said.

Many students said that Western perceptions of the hazards in certain study-abroad destinations are outdated and overblown by regional stereotypes.

“Cape Town is fairly safe. I do not know anyone on my 150-person program that has had a violent crime committed on them. There certainly are dangers, but if you are aware of them and act smartly then you should be fine,” said Eric Valchuis (COL ’12), who is currently studying abroad in South Africa’s second-most populous city.

“Talking with a veteran of the program from seven years ago, she said that most people got either a knife or gun pulled on them while studying here. So I think that there is a lag in perceptions and also a lot of Americans lump Cape Town in with [Johannesburg] or other cities in Africa which do have stronger threats,” he added.

Raymond Fortin (SFS ’12), who is studying in Rio de Janeiro, echoed Valchuis’ views.

“I think that the American perception of safety in Brazil is largely based on the safety of favelas [Brazilian slums]. …As long as you stay in the safe parts of town, you’re OK,” he said.

Students attending universities in Jordan said that the area is largely immune to the recent unrest in the Middle East.

“I have never encountered a risk to personal safety. American perceptions of safety risks in Jordan are very much overblown,” Eric Hoerger (SFS ’12) said. Hoerger is studying in Amman this spring.

“Jordan is a different political situation from Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, et cetera. The monarchy has been very receptive to the people, and no one is calling for the deposition of the monarchy,” he said.

Students stressed that common sense played a major role in ensuring their safety, drawing parallels between safety precautions they took overseas and those they take in Washington. Abroad, students said they try to travel in groups, stay with their local friends as much as possible and refrain from wearing flashy attire.

Alejandro González (SFS ’12) said that there are certain measures he takes to stay out of harm’s way while living in Rio de Janeiro.

“A lot of it has to do with common sense, something that many people don’t really have. I am very careful to not wear any jewelry or be flaunting around my camera or cell phone when I am in the streets,” he said. “I do not go out alone and always try to stay in a group. If I am returning home in public transportation, I try to stay as quiet as possible to not cause any attention. However, I feel like these are fairly common measures that need to be taken everywhere.”

Michelle Saks (COL ’12), who was relocated from Cairo to Rabat as a result of the revolution in Egypt, agreed that Georgetown students already have much of the knowledge that they need to survive in a foreign city.

“Wherever you study or travel, you have to make sure to know the places to avoid and appropriate behaviors of conduct that will allow you to avoid potentially dangerous situations. For instance, every Georgetown student knows that it is not necessarily safe to walk alone late at night even close to campus. Also, we all know that taking a stroll through Anacostia at any hour of the day is not the greatest idea,” she said.

Many students said that any threats they did experience were minor.

“To be frank, I never felt like my life was in danger. I knew that in Morocco if I was threatened, it was because people wanted my money, not my life,” said Jonathan Jacobs (MSB ’11), who studied abroad in Ifrane and Manchester, England, last year.

Monarch said that OIP does not support programs where potential dangers are likely to outweigh the academic benefits. She added that her department works closely with the State Department to determine if students should be evacuated from cities that become centers of violence during their stay overseas.

OIP determined that it was unsafe for students to continue studying abroad in Cairo this January.

Sarah Sealock (SFS ’12), one of the evacuees from Cairo, applauded OIP’s decision.

“I do believe that Georgetown made the correct decision. The situation was unpredictable. … I personally believe that while in some instances studying abroad in a potentially dangerous place may be warranted by a student’s area of study, studying abroad in a dangerous place would most likely prohibit the student from having as many experiences as a student studying in a stable environment,” she said.

According to Gallo, who acknowledged the risks of studying in Rabat, a sense of unease can sometimes facilitate international understanding and self-growth.

“Part of studying abroad is expanding your comfort zone, and I’m so glad I was able to do that in Morocco. I came away loving the country and the culture and cannot wait to go back,” she said.

Saks also stressed that potential dangers should not prevent people from exploring new cultures.

“Everyone from New York City to Rabat must roll out of bed and walk into the street each and every day with the understanding that there is the potential for violence, danger, natural disasters and terrorism. Should this prevent us from living our lives? From traveling and exploring new countries and cultures? I think not,” she said.