One of the most significant challenges that you will face in your early college years is the gluttony of essays that will be assigned in various courses. Many times, these essays will give you the freedom to choose your own topic, given that it stays within the boundaries of the assignment goal. Problem solving essay topics are some of the hardest to come up with, but that shouldn't be the case.
No matter where you go to college, there are undoubtedly going to be things that bother you on a day to day basis. Maybe the parking situation isn't good or maybe you want more food choices on campus. Whatever the case, you need to look at your own personal experience and figure out where a problem exists. This way, you will be more passionate about the assignment. The best problem solving essay topics are things that you can practically change and they're things that you can write persuasively about.
If you are having difficulty coming up with a solid topic, then maybe you need to look at what other students have done. It goes without saying that every campus is different and your problem solving essay topic won't be exactly the same as someone else's, but perhaps these things can set your mind to thinking the right way.
These things have all been problems at colleges across America, and students have taken a hard look at how they could be fixed. There are probably things at your university that could stand to see some improvement, and if you think hard about your own experiences, you are likely to come up with some ideas.