As a mom of two daughters, one in 7th grade and the other just starting 6th grade, I've witnessed firsthand the challenges that come with balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and the inevitable stress that accompanies test preparation. My 7th-grade daughter is an exceptional student and a meticulous note-taker. Her math notes are a sight to behold—colorful, neatly written, and filled with examples of math problems. Yet, despite her beautifully organized notes, we often ran into a common issue when studying for tests: she would forget the basic steps needed to solve more complex problems. This led to frustration and lengthy study sessions, leaving us both feeling less than enthusiastic about the process, especially right before an important exam.

Seeing this pattern unfold, I started to worry about my younger daughter, who tends to need more help with homework. She’s about to embark on her 6th-grade journey, and I knew that the challenges we faced with my older daughter could easily repeat themselves. That’s when I decided to try something new: the Cornell Note-taking method. I created a notebook of Cornell Notes with graph paper, specifically designed for their math classes. My plan was simple—have my girls take their notes in class, then come home and transfer those notes into their Cornell Notes notebook, making them as aesthetic and colorful as possible. The goal was to help them review and retain the information while organizing their notes in a more efficient way. This method would, hopefully, solve our problem of frantically searching through notes for crucial information right before a test.

However, as any parent knows, even the best-laid plans can hit a snag. The challenge? Getting my daughters to actually buy into the idea of taking notes at home. I decided to start over the summer, thinking it would give us a head start on the new school year. I printed out some review math lessons, and we went through them together. Sometimes, we watched a video lesson, and then we would take notes using the Cornell method in our notebooks. The good news? My girls were awesome at using the Cornell Note-taking method. Their notes were clear, organized, and—dare I say—almost enjoyable to look at.

The bad news? They hated me for making them do schoolwork during the summer. We tried it a couple of times, but I quickly realized that pushing too hard would only make them resent the process, and I didn’t want them to develop a negative attitude toward using Cornell notes.

So, here we are at the beginning of a new school year, armed with our Cornell Notes notebooks and a renewed determination to make this work. My hope is that this method will not only help my daughters study more effectively but also reduce the stress and frustration that comes with last-minute test prep. Wish us luck as we embark on this journey to master the art of note-taking together!