How can I formulate my own opinions on the topics discussed?

Philosophy is a topic deeply engrossed in everyday life. You need to continue your contemplation of ideas outside of the classroom. When you go home talk to family members and friends and ask them how they feel about the ideas you are discussing. In hearing others views you will be able to see how you feel and what you agree or disagree with. For example the topic of abortion is controversial and you may find that people in your family have different views about it. Listen to their ideas and try to challenge them. This is the best way to make your own ideas clear and bring these topics to the front of your mind. After discussion you may find that your mind is full of ideas and quickly jot down your stream of conciousness onto your notes on your phone- it does not need to be formal. Then when you are in a studying enviroment the next day look over these ideas and try and get them into a comprehensive structure. Your opinions may change but this is a positive thing as it allows you to consider both sides of the argument. 

This approach may not work for everyone so you can take a more structured focus. Write down in pen the key arguments in the topic, so for abortion, it considers santicty of life, the rights of the mother, personhood. Ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of these topics first. Write the topic in a large font at the top of a landscape peice of paper. Then consider "Do I feel that x will always be the most important factor when considering y?" So is the santicy of life always the most important thing in relation to abortion. If you think yes jot down why, your views can be simple and do not have to be overcomplicated, write them on one half of the page in a bullet point format. Then go to google and type in 'is the santicy of life the most important thing in relation to abortion?' Click on a generalised argument and jot these down on the other half of the page in a bullet point format. You will find that some of your ideas can be paired with opposing arguments. Get a different coloured pen and draw a line between the ideas that you feel relate. When you have done this get another peice of paper and reflect on the diagram. Do you still feel your ideas are strong? If you do select the strongest arguments, you do not have to pick them all. You will now have the foundations for your ideas about abortion. You can use this as a basis for your research and select theorists and quotations to support your ideas. This method will help to create a balanced argument and help you to discover your opinions in a way that will benefit your essay writing.