Sanna Tikkakoski
Software Engineering Student Portfolio
Oulu University of Applied Scienes
Oulu, Finland
About Me
In 2023, I made the decision to quit my comfortable job in the funeral industry and apply to get a degree in Information Technology (Bachelor of Engineering).
Now, I'm about to wrap up my third year of studies specializing in Software Development, and I'm loving the learning process and seeing how my past experiences enhance my current studies!
I'm curious about working with SaaS, and I'm especially interested in working with backend and testing-related tasks.
My long-term ambitions include finding a position where I can combine my technical skills with my drive for managing large projects efficiently.
When I'm not coding, you can find me adventuring with my dog, knitting, or planning a trip to Norway for some birdwatching.
My Studies
I'm in the Information Technology (B.Eng.) degree program at Oulu University of Applied Sciences. My chosen speciality is Software Development, and I'm in my third year of studies.
My GPA is 5.0/5.0, and I am on course to graduate half a year ahead of our schedule in December 2026.
Feel free to browse my GitHub repositories for examples of schoolwork I've been doing!
Some of the technical courses I've recently completed include:
| Year | Subject | ECTS* | My Grade (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Advanced Software Development Techniques | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | Linux Administration | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | Components of IoT Applications | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | Mobile Development Project | 15 | 5 |
| 2025 | Web and Hybrid Technologies in Mobile Development | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | Mobile Development with Native Technologies | 5 | 5 |
| 2025 | Applied Mathematics and Physics in Software Development | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | Web Progamming Application Project | 15 | 5 |
| 2024 | Introduction to Web Applications | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | Java Programming | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | Cloud Services | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | Software Development Application Project | 15 | 5 |
| 2024 | Databases and Interfaces | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | Applied Mathematics and Physics in Measurements | 5 | 5 |
| 2024 | Object Oriented Programming and Design | 5 | 5 |
This is just a selection of my coursework — feel free to contact me if you’d like to see my full academic transcript. In addition to my core studies, I’ve also completed extracurricular courses in topics such as C# .NET programming, Python, and cybersecurity.
My Work + Experience
I am just starting my first industry internship, where I'll be using C/C++, GTK, and tools such as OpenGL to help build a complete UI for the company's product.
It's a huge leap into the unknown for me, and I'm excited to explore such a new (for me) part of software development!
Some technologies and topics I've been working with recently:
- C/C++ (multithreading, synchronization, GTK, OpenGL, Qt)
- Linux administration and general CLI work
- JavaScript (Node.js, React, React Native, Expo)
- Python (CLI tools and scripiting)
- Relational databases, RESTful APIs
- C# .NET
- Kotlin (Jetpack Compose)
- Java
- HTML & CSS
My favorite project so far has been PlantLife, a React Native Expo app we developed to wrap up our second year of studies. It's a houseplant care app for iOS+Android that keeps track and reminds you of all your houseplant needs - in three langugages and other localization features. You can also add images to keep track of your plant's growth, and, should the worst happen, move them to the graveyard.
Our second year fall project was a full-stack web app project! It's an app for movie enthusiasts to explore movies, manage favorites, read and write reviews, create social groups, and browse theater showtimes! It's got a hand-built PostgreSQL database, Node backend, React frontend, basic testing for both back and frontend, a light+dark theme and scalable design.
A great larger project from my first year of studies was an ATM simulator, where I got to practise building a Qt Widget frontend and Node Express backend, hand-building and querying relational databases, and using RESTful APIs. Fun extra credit challenges included hosting the database and backend remotely, using custom style sheets, and ensuring cross-platform compatibility.
A fun electronics project from 2023 was the Arduino-based game "Speden Spelit", which features LEDs, buttons, and a 7-segment display. Pressing the start button initiates LEDs blinking in random order at a steadily increasing pace. Players must press the gameplay buttons in the correct sequence to accumulate points, and the game ends if a mistake is made; the 7-segment display shows the score and signals if a new high score is achieved.
Career
In addition to my studies, I worked as an assistant teacher for the “Introduction to Programming” course in spring 2024.
It was a great opportunity to help students learn the basics of programming while also honing my own teaching and communication skills.
Teaching really made me look at the fundamentals from a completely different perspective, deepening my understanding and appreciation of the subject.
Ask me about my previous career in the funeral industry! Very few things teach you as much about customer experience, meticulousness, and working under pressure as working with grieving families.
Contact Me
I'd love to hear from you! Let's chat about coding, UX, studies, or job opportunities.
sanna-poritikkakoski
sannatikk