In 2024, Erasmus University Rotterdam launched its own personal development and wellbeing app: ROOM. Tajda Laure (Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences) dedicated her entire PhD to making this app a success, ensuring the app is evidence-based and tailored to the needs of students. The app has over 3,500 downloads, and the team has received funding to scale the app beyond EUR.
Headspace and Calm are well-known wellbeing apps. Erasmus University Rotterdam decided not to buy a license, and instead built something from scratch. The reason? These popular apps were not designed with the university context in mind. "Headspace is great," says PhD candidate Tajda Laure, "but it wasn’t made for students. ROOM is." Laure developed the app together with students, mental health professionals, specialists in game design and researchers in digital health. Then she studied how students used it, and what impact it had on their wellbeing. The result is a tool that feels personal, safe and scientifically grounded, one that students actually relate to.
"We wanted something that feels like it gets them, in familiar language."
Tajda Laure
Tailored to student life
The difference lies in the details. ROOM doesn’t just ask students to meditate or journal. It guides them through common student experiences: getting rejected for an internship, dealing with exam stress, or feeling isolated after moving abroad. "That’s where other apps can fall short," says Laure. "Some students connect with mindfulness, others prefer a more practical, analytical approach—so we designed a library of different tools students can choose from. We wanted something that feels like it gets them, in familiar language."
ROOM is built around student life. Even the exercises are written in their voice. Students choose from breathing techniques, self-compassion practices and cognitive strategies. They can track their mood, receive tailored recommendations, and reflect on how they’re doing, all within a safe and anonymous space. "It’s designed to grow with them," Laure says. "Not just to calm them down."
What actually works?
In her studies, ROOM showed measurable effects. After completing an exercise, students reported a significant reduction in negative emotions like stress and an increase in positive emotions. We’ve also seen that regular users gained more. Students who used ROOM more often reported decreased levels of stress. Importantly, no harmful effects were found, meaning that the app is safe to use for students. "Even when exercises were confronting, students told us they felt safe and supported," says Laure. That matters, she adds, because digital tools often lack the nuance and supervision of a real therapist. "That is why ensuring psychological safety is essential."
"ROOM felt like the only space that was really mine"
Student about ROOM
A generation with high standards
ROOM has been downloaded over 3,500 times. The team is adding more analytics and personalization. "Gen Z grew up with smart systems. They expect relevance. If an app feels generic or outdated, they’re gone," Laure says. Students liked the low-threshold approach: no waiting lists, no intake forms, just open the app and start. "It’s not a replacement for therapy," Laure emphasizes. "But for many, it’s the first step. Especially for students who might not be ready to seek help, or are curious to pick up new tools and learn more about themselves."
One design challenge was how to encourage deeper engagement without overwhelming users. "You can’t just drop heavy cognitive exercises on someone and hope for the best," Laure says. "But if you never get past the exercises like breathing and relaxation, that are in principle easier to do and have an immediate impact on you, you miss an opportunity for real change." Some students felt worse after certain exercises, but in a useful way. It made them reflect. "The things we avoid working on are often the things that need attention most."
That reflection often triggered valuable insight. One student shared that he had never realised how tired he felt until the app asked him to pause and take stock. Another said the self-compassion exercises changed how she spoke to herself. "I would never say this to a friend," she told Laure, "but I say it to myself all the time." "One student told me: 'ROOM felt like the only space that was really mine.'"
Recognition and next steps
The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) recently named ROOM as an example of promising preventive innovation. The team also received a grant from NWO. That kind of recognition means a lot, says Laure. "It's validation that what we’re doing matters, and that we are on the right track." With new funding, the team is now exploring expansion to other universities in the Netherlands and abroad.
Some commercial companies have shown interest in acquiring the app. For Laure, the focus is on staying true to ROOM’s roots. "It's something students helped build and something they trust. What’s next, for me, is making sure it stays grounded in research, continues to reflect student needs, and gives back to the community. But we have a whole team looking into and carving a path to bring ROOM to more students, nationally and internationally."
A dream project
Looking back, Laure says the most rewarding part was working directly with students—hearing their input on the work and how the exercises changed their thinking and perspectives. "I'm an applied scientist," she says. "I like doing things you can see, feel and improve. And this was exactly that." She also enjoyed the collaboration: working with developers, designers, researchers, healthcare professionals and fellow PhDs. "We had a great team. It never felt like I was doing this alone. I could only dream of a project like this and the best thing is that I get to keep working on it."
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