As Erin Miller finds the days growing colder and the workload heavier, she is already planning her escape.

And for her, that means a spring break spent partying in the tropical sun.

"It's something to look forward to," Miller (junior-chemical engineering) said. "Classes are so difficult -- you just definitely need a break from everything."

Miller, like many other students, hopes to head south during spring break, which is March 7 to 11.

Although she has no set plans yet, Miller said she will probably use the Internet to shop around and also call a few travel agencies.

"I want to get it done soon, just so it's done and over with," she said.

Many travel advisers say the next few weeks are the best time to book if students want to avoid post-winter-break price increases.

Tara Cooper, an adviser for STA Travel in the HUB-Robeson Center, said students should put down a deposit for a package within the next two weeks.

If students wait until after winter break to book, prices will go up and hotel availability will start to diminish, she said.

"Students can book spring break up until weeks before, but now to mid-January you're going to find the best prices," Margi Erway, STA branch manager said. "They need to really start planning this now."

She added that, so far, the agency has had 200 students place deposits and between 400 and 500 students are considering booking a trip, adding that these statistics are typical.

Cooper said this year's most popular spots are Acapulco and Cancun, Mexico, and Negril, Jamaica. Acapulco is appealing because of its trendy clubs, she said, which display a lot of "smoke and spectacle." "They're like Vegas style," Cooper said. "The beaches aren't as nice, so people go there more to party. It's a flashier scene."

Negril, however, offers a more laid-back atmosphere, she added.

"The beaches are like the third-best beaches in the world," Cooper said. "And it's not a clubbing thing. It's open-air bars. People who want to wear a bikini to the beach go to Jamaica."

Cooper said any of the tropical spots will be packed with students partying.

"In general, [students] are looking to get out of the country because the drinking age is 18," she said. "It's cheap to drink out of the country, so they drink a lot more than they could afford to do here."

Bonnie Harper, manager of Campbell Travel, 137 S. Pugh St., also said Acapulco and Cancun are popular spots, as well as Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

"Most students put deposits down by the end of September so they could have their early-bird specials," she said. "They saved probably close to $200."

She said the agency is now getting a lot of inquiries, mostly from students who are still trying to plan their trips.

Ashley Huntzinger (junior-psychology) said she and her six friends are still in the planning stages.

"We were just looking over different Web sites and trying to find the best deal," she said.

Both agencies said students are spending around $1,000 each, usually for packages that include seven nights, a hotel, a round-trip flight and transfers.

Nick Chrin (senior-landscape contracting), who is planning to vacation in Cancun with eight friends, said each person is spending more than $1,000.

"It's just like any other expense for me," he said. "I work to get the money and then pay it off."

But, Chrin said the money is worth getting an exotic vacation to break up the winter and the school year.

Huntzinger agreed that the warm weather is appealing to students, and so are the parties.

"I think everyone should go somewhere for spring break, whether they go to a beach or not," she said. "Just to get away from the stresses of school."