College rooms can be a mixed bag. At best they’re functional, at worst cramped, and they’re normally pretty short on style.

So a parent’s help is essential to enable fledgling students to fly the nest successfully.

That doesn’t simply involve parcelling up their collection of random coffee mugs and clothes (washed or otherwise!) and mountain of CDs and DVDs, tempting though that may be. Instead, it means sending them off with those vital ingredients to instantly transform their space.

Think brightly-coloured bedding, practical essentials and beyond. And if you want an A-star, spoil them by splurging on imaginative, funky accessories.

Consider this outlay an investment, as such comforts will ward off early pangs of homesickness and create a room that’s a magnet for fellow students looking for new friends.

Follow this guide to campus chic and win brownie points by suiting the style to the student…

Swotty student

Books and studying rule in this room. Although, be warned, that doesn’t mean they won’t catch the partying bug later on!

Make it easy for your pupil to slave over their desk by adding fun touches.

Grade ‘A’ buys

• Dana silicone clip-desk light, £8, from B&Q.
• Books by classic writers, from Shakespeare to Dickens, decorate this Novel Tea set. Mug, coaster and biscuit tin, £12.99, from The Gifted Penguin.
• So retro! A typewriter cushion, £30, John Lewis
• Cardboard bookworm stool, which appropriately resembles a stack of books, £23, from JasmineWay.
• Sapporo bamboo desk, £249, and matching chair, £149, from Marks & Spencer.

Blokey student

Just as he’ll be embarrassed by over-emotional goodbyes, he also won’t welcome fussy touches.

Stick to simple, practical items and a generous supply of bedding and towels, as he’s unlikely to visit the laundry.

Grade ‘A’ Buys

• A collection of photos is easy to display in a Picture Pockets Hanging Gallery, £7.99, from Clever Little Ideas.
• A mini-fridge for drinks will keep food fresh and safe in his room. Budweiser Mini Fridge, £134.99, from Drinkstuff.
• Keeping track of lecture notes and essays is a cinch with Ikea’s Kassett range. Magazine files or red-steel file holders, both £4.49 for a two-pack.
• Clear clutter into a nine-drawer multicoloured metal storage unit, £50, from John Lewis.
• Give him a gentle hint to ring home with a red telephone cushion, £14.99, Dunelm Mill.
• There’s nothing girly about brilliantly patterned bedding from Bhs. Single set, £25.

Girly student

Pink, pretty and a ‘home from home’ is the order of the day here. She and her mates will love long sessions gossiping and getting ready for nights out in her boudoir.

Grade ‘A’ buys

• Dress up a bed with a Pom Pom throw in strawberry, £40, from John Lewis.
• Street Signs, Gossip Grove, pink mug, £2.50, from Tesco.
• Silver butterfly print cushion, £6, from Store Twenty One.
• Make it less likely she’ll miss lectures (or dates) with an F&F Home fuchsia clock, £5, from Tesco.
• Her room will be pretty as a picture with accessories from queen of girly chic, Cath Kidston. Provence Rose three-drawer desk cabinet, £15; retro flowers waste bin, £15; Provence Rose picture frame, £5.

Style-savvy student

A room with funky touches is essential for those who value their street-cred and want to be in with the campus crowd.

Grade ‘A’ buys

• Make storage a feature with brightly-coloured Flexitub baskets, £7.50 each. Sabrina square floor cushions, £19 each, are a good buy too. Both from B&Q.
• Spotty stacking mugs, set of four, £15, Marks & Spencer.
• Table lamp, in blue or red, £30, Bhs
• Framed print, Tomorrow Is A Lovely Day, £60, from John Lewis, is bang on trend and could lift spirits.
• A Micke corner workstation, £115, from Ikea, is sleek-looking and space-saving.

• Student sources

Bhs: 0845 196 0000/www.bhs.co.uk

Cath Kidston: 08450 262 440/www.cathkidston.co.uk

Clever Little Ideas: 020 7734 5678/www.cleverlittleideas.com

Drinkstuff: 0845 313 33 52/www.drinkstuff.com

Dunelm Mill: 0845 165 6565/www.dunelm-mill.com

The Gifted Penguin: 01642 763 000/www.giftedpenguin.co.uk

Ikea: www.ikea.com

JasmineWay: 020 8715 2520/www.jasmineway.co.uk

John Lewis: 0845 6049 049/www.johnlewis.com

Marks & Spencer: 0845 302 1234/www.marksandspencer.com

Store Twenty One; 0121 705 8286/www.storetwentyone.co.uk

Tesco: 0845 600 4411/www.tesco.com