It’s almost that time of the year: spring break.

With winter quickly coming to an end, college students across the country begin to get ready for yet another wild and reckless time to party until the sun rises in the horizon. Locations tend to be popular in areas throughout Mexico and South Padre Island, Texas and many more. Nonetheless, the east coast of Florida happens to be a more prevalent place for young spring breakers to rejoice, party and release stress built up over the semester.

According to Infographicsshowcase.com, more than 500,000 students attend the festivities in Panama City Beach, Fla. Although the population is high, so are the expenses.

Info Graphics Showcase also stated: “Students spend an average of $1,100. Transportation and rent account for less than half that figure.” The expensive cost for the massive extravaganza did not stop students from embarking there. Students who attend spring break in either Florida or Texas spend approximately a total amount of $1 billion combined.

David Coracy, a travel agent at B & A Travel Service in Carbondale, said they handle a good amount of vacation traveling over the spring break period.

“Most of our student business during that period is usually Cancun and the Riviera Maya in Mexico,” Coracy said. “We also do a small amount to Walt Disney World in Florida.”

Coracy articulated how a vacationer’s common trend was to “get warm,” and places such as the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Jamaica were other popular destinations.

Keeping money stored away for spring break was Coracy’s key suggestion for having a successful plan and to alleviate troublesome stresses that tend to occur in vacation preparation. He recommends to work with a travel agency that offers a VSA (vacation savings account)

Studenttravelservice.com, a website strictly meant for students planning a vacation, offers a large variety of packages and discounts to satisfy the wallets of penny-pinching students who hope to travel over break. Student Travel Service gives travelers a mass selection of hotels to choose from in the most infamous spring break locations.

Not only do they provide living accommodations, but they explain a vast majority of activities (not only liquor consuming ones) and attractions to give visitors options throughout the entire day.

Eric Feigenbaum, a senior from Oviedo, Fla. studying biomedical sciences, is going to Panama City Beach for the second year in a row. “ (I) went to PCB last year and I’m going again this year. I haven’t been anywhere else, but it was nuts last year.”

Feigenbaum said police have major control of the partiers and keep a sharp eye on the minors, especially in bars. In 2012, there were about 1,300 arrests in Panama City Beach and 2,600 arrests abroad.

The rise in electronic dance music is also a factor in the number of spectaculars during the month of March. For instance, Electro Beach, — an event in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — is showcasing a number of widely known disc jockeys, which is stirring constant excitement. DJs such as Tiesto, Avicci, Krewella and many others acts are set to perform during this electric and futuristic event.

Aside from traveling to warm and tropical areas, a large majority of students spend time with family in other areas of the country or other leisurely activities.

Alex Ziolkowski, a freshman from Elgin studying business, traveled outside of the United States, but to Quebec, Canada instead of the cliché tropical areas. He went with his family and experienced the complete opposite of sunburn. Ziolkowski was snowed in during his stay in Canada for several days, making his scheduled activities more hectic than planned. He originally intended to go snowboarding at Mountain St. Mary. Although he and his family did so, the mounds of snow boarding him in prevented them from doing their desired amount.

Other students have gone on spring break to areas of the country to visit family members, making their expenses almost nonexistent aside from gas for their cars.

Ben Davis, a freshman from Springfield studying history education, said he and his family are going to Nashville, Tenn. to visit family.

“It’s a tradition of my families to head to Nashville,” Davis said. “We usually do things like barbeque, and enjoy the southern comfort and hospitality.”

Davis also had his fair share of mishaps while visiting family down south. He stated how once his family’s car broke down in the middle of the countryside and how they all had to stay at an eerie bed and breakfast which he thought was something straight out of a horror film. “The wife and husband that ran that bed and breakfast had no tone in their voice whatsoever. I had a good amount of trouble sleeping that night.”

Instead of traveling, many students travel back home for free room and board with their parents and siblings.

Connor Cratsley, a senior from Orland Park, Ill. studying physical therapy, says that he is going back home to put some more money in his pockets for the remainder of the semester.

“I was a physical therapist tech aide at one of my town’s hospital,” Cratsley said. “Not only does it let me make some money, but it also helps further my experience towards my career.”