Great Birthday Gifts: Smart Gift Ideas for Your Older Brother

You're in the mall window shopping when you suddenly remember that your older brother’s birthday is coming up. You stroll around wondering what would be great birthday gifts for someone in college.

Before we go into some great gift ideas for your smart college going older brother, there are just some things that you should absolutely not give him.

Here are 6 must not give gifts (unless you have a big grudge or want to embarrass him).

1. Man purse or “murse”. Whoever came up with this idea got it all wrong because most guys do not ever want to be seen with a man purse. It just makes them the butt of jokes among friends.

2. Anything pink. Guys never want to look girly or feminine. Many people say that a guy who wears pink is secure in his manhood. But seriously, this gift is a no no.

3. Glow in the dark underwear. Imagine his face when he opens his present to reveal what’s inside. You might think this is a funny gift, but he might not see it the same way.

4. Baked goods with nuts. If you have just discovered your talent for baking, you might think that giving him your delicious chocolate chip walnut cookies will be a hit. However, be careful especially if he is allergic to nuts. You might see this as a thoughtful gift but you might end up rethinking this while you dial 911.

5. A dog or a cat. Pets are awfully cute however, for somebody in college this can be a huge headache. He will not have the time to take care of a pet. You just might end up taking care of it or bringing it to the pound.

6. A subscription to Vehicle and Plant Technology or some other boring magazine. If you want to give your brother a year’s subscription to any mag, make sure you know where his interests lie. Otherwise, you will only be wasting your money on something that he will never read.

Now you know what not to give him, here are some great intelligent gift ideas.

1. Flash drive 8 GB. This is a cheap yet useful gift especially for someone in college. He can use this to store all his files, documents, pictures and music.

2. Gift card to his favorite book store. If your brother loves to read, he will appreciate this as he can choose any novel or reference book he wants.

3. Book light. This is a handy gift which he can use while studying. He can attach this to his books and even his Kindle. Perfect to use when all the lights are out.

4. Desert Sun Jewelry Box. This accessory box can be used to store all his personal items like keys, cell phone, mp3, loose change or cards.

5. Lapinator. This smart item blocks the heat from a laptop so your brother can use his laptop while keeping his legs cool and comfortable.

6. Pen scanner. This portable scanner is a practical solution when he needs to read books that cannot be taken out of the library. He can just scan the pages he needs, connect it to his laptop, download and voila, everything is right there.

Getting gifts for your older brother can sometimes be confusing. But he will appreciate any of the above suggestions because they are handy and useful - just perfect for the brilliant college student.

The Author

This article on smart gift ideas for a college going brother was written by Rachel Manalo of MarqART Gift Shop.

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