The birds have it right when they migrate to the south, and several students seem to be following suit as they plan their spring break vacations.

Already seasoned in spring break extravagance, Natalie Rogers (sophomore-marketing) is headed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She and 12 of her friends from Penn State will cross the border and spend March 10 to March 14 in the Mexican town. The price comes out to roughly $1,000 per person, Rogers said.

"None of us are 21," Rogers said, adding that the drinking age in Mexico is 18.

"Some of us wanted to get out of the country, and Mexico was more different."

Although travel agencies all over are offering specials for students making their spring break plans, Rogers said she planned the trip herself.

STA travel, located in the HUB-Robeson Center, is offering packages to students who need a little extra help planning their vacations.

Although it is late in the game and more incentives were offered earlier in the year, limited opportunities are still available, said David Pomeroy, an STA Travel representative.

Lauren Baioni (senior-mathematics) and four of her friends will be traveling to Daytona Beach this year. It will be Baioni's first time celebrating spring break while in college. The price of staying in a hotel for five nights is roughly $125 per night, on top of additional gas expenses.

"We are driving down to Daytona, so it's going to be an adventure," Baioni said.

STA travel has multiple packages available for a variety of spring break atmospheres from the beach to Europe to skiing and snowboarding, according to its Web site, sss.statravel.com.

Snowboarding is exactly what Mike McKemey (senior-history) plans to do while he spends his spring break in the Poconos. An assortment of friends from home and from school will be in attendance, he said.

Last semester, McKemey was studying abroad in Dublin.

Study abroad is another option for Penn State students who want to do something exciting over spring break.

Erika Mabus (junior-biobehavioral health) is taking advantage of that spring break option this year when she studies abroad in Greece with a group of about 12 people during break.

"[Greece] has always been a place I've wanted to go," Mabus said. "I like traveling, so any way I can go somewhere is a good reason."

For first-time spring breakers, one can take a cue from a group of freshmen who will be spending their first college spring break in Fort Myers, Fla.

Kristen Lutter (freshman-kinesiology) planned the trip with a few friends from her floor in Beaver Hall. Her group's plans to hit the beach will be less expensive than other options, as they will be staying at a friend's condo. Rather than shell out for a hotel, her only expense will be the plane ticket to get there.

"This is the first time I'm going on vacation with my friends," Lutter said. "No family at all, so I'm very excited."

Like Lutter, Ellen Turkewitz (freshman-hotel and restaurant management) plans to spend a few days in sunny Florida. But instead of hanging out with friends, Turkewitz will be visiting her grandparents.

"I haven't seen them in a while," Turkewitz said. "Plus, it's warm, and my parents will pay for it."

Sydney Wagner (freshman-advertising) said she also plans to visit family.

She will be heading to Santa Barbara, Calif., to visit her aunt and cousin.

While some students are self-sufficient in planning their spring break trips and many take advantage of STA Travel's proximity, there are many different travel agencies available.

Student Travel Services offers step-by-step instructions on how to plan a spring break vacation on its Web site, www.ststravel.com.

There are several tips on how to make the most out of spring break, including different ways to pay for it. One major tip is to book early.

Russell Tebeleff, a representative from Student Travel Services, said Penn State's Greek community is a major client of theirs, having already booked 500 to 600 people for Acapulco, Mexico, in May.

On a campus flooded by snow and ice, spring break brings about the opportunity to escape to a warmer locale, but students only have a bit more than two weeks to get it together.