Controversial issues provide one of the most fruitful areas for digging up essay topics. Most controversial issues have a philosophical, ethical or religious dimension to them. Some topics like the right to have an abortion can provide you with a nearly unlimited number of resources from which you can gather information. Other issues with ethical and moral dimensions include human cloning and other genetic research, whether pornography should be restricted by law or is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech, and whether homosexuals should be allowed to serve in the military.
The topic that you should know the most about is yourself. If there are no restrictions on your assignment, you could take an autobiographical approach and choose one segment or time in your life around which to craft your essay. Rather than merely chronicle the events of your life, however, provide a descriptive and detailed account of one event. Take an introspective approach by interweaving narrative and self-reflection.
History is a field that is rife with potential topics for a college writing class. Much like writing on controversial present-day issues, writing about the major issues and events of the past can provide you with a nearly limitless number of topics from which you can choose. Rather than just write a basic descriptive account, one way to approach this type of essay is to provide hints and details along the way about the point of the essay, then wrap up the essay with a strong conclusion that drives home the point.
Legal issues provide fertile ground for fruitful writing. Some legal issues can also be quite controversial, but you need not write on those that are controversial because of some underlying philosophical or religious argument. Instead, write about legal issues of a more practical nature, such as whether the government should provide universal health care, whether divorce laws should be made more equitable to both parties, what types of forensic evidence should be allowed in the courtroom, and should marijuana and certain other drugs be legalized.