“Always be reviewing”- takeaways from the Swedbank code review

Recently, our students joined an online session with Swedbank developers to review their projects. The session was an invite-only event where our students got to hear direct feedback from senior engineers who work daily on enterprise-level systems.

The review was led by two full-stack Java developers from Swedbank. Augustinas, a senior software engineer with over seven years of experience, and Andrius, who made a remarkable career change from professional poker to software development. Together, they offered our students an inside look at what makes professional-grade code truly solid.

Photo: 2025 kood/JobFair

Learning from the pros

For many, it was the first time their code had been examined line by line by experienced developers. The experience was both a bit scary but also very inspiring.

Erik from batch 5 said the review reminded him of the value of feedback:

“I was hesitant to submit our code at first – it wasn’t perfect. But I wanted to become better. The review reminded me that even the best code benefits from a second set of eyes. Having a senior developer review your work can save weeks of debugging. We need more of that at kood/Jõhvi. Always be reviewing.”

Lauri (batch 6) felt the same energy:

“Doing the review really enhanced the hours we put into this project. Having an external auditor pushes you to do more and do better.”

According to the students, the biggest takeaway was realizing just how close their projects already are to professional-level work and how much fine-tuning matters when moving toward enterprise standards.

Across the group, common lessons emerged: improve structural design, strengthen testing, clean up redundancy, and keep logs meaningful.

“Code reviews are like health checks for projects.”

Code reviews aren’t just about fixing bugs. Nope, because as one student mentioned, “Code reviews are like health checks for projects – they keep your architecture alive.”

The students left the session with something more than technical advice.

“The review made me realize how much attitude and discipline define your success as a developer,” Lauri noted afterward.

The bigger picture

Code reviews are standard practice in professional teams, but in learning environments, they’re still a rare opportunity. This session reminded everyone that outside feedback isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s essential for growth.

Or, as Erik put it best: “Always be reviewing.”

Want to grow your coding mindset with real-world feedback?

Join the next //kood Selection Sprint and start building projects that are ready for the world.

//kood was founded in Jõhvi, Estonia in 2021, with the aim of making technology education accessible to everyone. Now, students can study in Jõhvi, Võru and Paide. Its 12–15 month curriculum is based on self-directed and peer-to-peer learning, covering full-stack software development, teamwork and problem solving. Students can later specialise in fields such as cybersecurity, data analysis, mobile applications, and AI.

So far, //kood has welcomed more than 1,200 students in Estonia with over 350 graduates – nearly two-thirds of whom are now working in the technology sector. Students represent over 30 different nationalities and 21% are women. You can find the //kood peer-to-peer learning method and curriculum also in Finland, Ukraine and Kenya.

In 2025, the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications recognised //kood as one of the best entrepreneurship promoters in the country.

The accessibility of IT education is supported by Skaala, Swedbank, Wise, Kaamos, LHV, SEB, Barrus, SA Võrumaa Arenduskeskus, SA Järvamaa, ESTDEV and others.