A speech topic that many of your college peers may find useful is how to take good notes in class. This speech topic has immediacy with your audience, which is always an advantage when giving a speech. The topic also lends itself well to simple visual aids such as a notepad, pen, small voice recorder or laptop computer.
Another topic that will resonant with many of your students is how to set up a video game system. Today's video game consoles like the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox and Playstation 3 are no longer as simple to connect as the older game systems. You can use the latest generation of video game consoles to connect to the Internet, watch movies or look at digital photos. You will need access to a television to demonstrate this topic, but getting one shouldn't be too difficult in a college setting.
Not all demonstrative speech topics have to be serious about showing how to do something. Add a little humor to your speech by taking how to use chopsticks as your topic. The humor from this topic lies in illustrating how not to use chopsticks and what can happen to your dinner if use them incorrectly. You might also consider some interactivity by handing out chopsticks to the entire class and urging them to try following your example.
How to pack is always a useful demonstrative speech topic. The key is to narrow the topic down to specifics. For instance, you could give a speech on how to pack for a weeklong trip using just one suitcase. Consider your specific audience by giving a speech on how to pack for home without letting your parents know how you dress at school. Add the difficulty of packing things besides clothing by giving a speech on how to pack for a weekend camping trip.
Demonstrative speeches need not always be about concrete tasks that easily take advantage of visual aids. You can always get a little philosophical with your demonstration. You might choose to give a speech on how to be more confident. Take things a little further, and give a speech on the topic of how to stay optimistic and upbeat even with all the bad things that happen in the world. Really push the demonstrative envelope by giving a speech on how to remain an ethical person in the world of big business.