1. **State the problem:** We need to find the total surface area of a cube with edge length 3 cm. 2. **Formula:** The total surface area $A$ of a cube with edge length $s$ is given by: $$A = 6s^2$$ This is because a cube has 6 faces, each a square with area $s^2$. 3. **Substitute the given edge length:** $$A = 6 \times 3^2$$ 4. **Calculate the square:** $$A = 6 \times 9$$ 5. **Multiply:** $$A = 54$$ 6. **Answer:** The total surface area of the cube is $54$ square centimeters.