Is the American Dream now just a fantasy?

That question has been plaguing people of all different ages. My parents’ generation, known as Generation X, was projected not to do as well as the generation before it, a prediction that delivered a blow to many Gen-Xers. Unfortunately, our generation is facing the same lack of confidence and crushing odds. According to the Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll released in September, only 20 percent of the adults surveyed believe when today’s teenagers reach adulthood, they will have more opportunity to get ahead than adults today. Furthermore, more than than two-thirds of American adults polled believe today’s teens will enjoy less financial security than adults today, and these teens will face more challenges than opportunities compared to past generations.

That’s not a dream; That’s a nightmare.

Interestingly enough, however, current teenagers and young adults don’t really see it that way. That same poll found these two groups are much more optimistic about their futures than their adult counterparts. This is exemplified by the differences in the American Dream and what I like to call the “American College Dream.”

In the real world, the American Dream (roughly the belief that American citizens will be able to provide for themselves and their families while enjoying opportunities, freedom and financial security) isn’t as strong as it once was. Given a multitude of factors, including the unequal distribution of wealth amongst the American people, the current economic state, the rising national debt, the onslaught of terrorism, the recent government shutdown and the uncertainty of the future, many Americans are left doubting their existence, let alone the tangibility of the American Dream. Yet, according to a 2011 survey by the Center for the Study of the American Dream, 63 percent of those surveyed say they are extremely or fairly confident that they will achieve or have already achieved the Dream in their lifetimes. This figure does make sense; a time of strife and hardship is when people most need a beacon of hope in their lives. The concept of the American Dream provides that hope for many individuals.

In contrast, the so-called “American College Dream” (informally, the belief amongst young adults that they will be able to use their education to get a decent-paying and fulfilling job) just seems to reveal how much the nation’s collegiate youth differ from the rest of the populace. But why is that so? It seems that in college, we have so much control over our destiny; In this setting, it is relatively easy for any one person to make advances and climb the ladder. Additionally, college students are part of utopian America: Everyone is relatively equal and well educated, and we are all able to easily take advantage of numerous and varied opportunities. This is especially true at the University of Wisconsin, given the number of student organizations available and the vast number of people all united as Badgers.

Although college is meant to prepare us for the “real world,” we should not allow ourselves to forget what our visions of an ideal society are as we graduate and transition into the real world. Nothing is predetermined; We are still able to make significant choices that will impact us just as much, whether we are students on campus or full-fledged working adults. Our college experiences may make us seem irrationally optimistic about the future in the eyes of middle-aged Americans, but one day our shared experiences will help make the world a little more like college.

It’s always good to dream, but it’s up to us as individuals to make that dream reality.

Briana Reilly ([email protected]) is a freshman intending to major in journalism and international studies.