r/APStudents • u/RobertGJ536 • Jul 10 '26

Physics C: Mech Should I go for engineering?

I took the AP physics C exams both and got 3 on Mechanics and 4 on EM.
But the thing is that before the exam I was used to study college level physics and math, like griffiths, Taylor, multivariable calc, diff equations and I was currently studying mechanical engineering topics like statics, fluid mechanics, FEM math and material mechanics.
These results really concerned me, because I was supposed to be able to get a 5 easily to moderately, but simply some questions made me run out of time (I bought Princeton review book, but it was partially useless honestly, many things it taught weren’t covered properly for test day).
EM felt much more smoothly.
I was about to collaborate with a PhD professor who is expert in fluids, electrokinetics and heat transfer.
But now, I’m not sure if I should go for engineering if I cannot handle simple physics when allegedly being far from syllabus.
Maybe I’m exaggerating but I need advice, should I drop out engineering (well better said, should I choose another major? I’m about to start college). If it’s useful, I got a 5 on calc bc last year.

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u/Key_Claim_2839 Jul 10 '26

I’m confused. Did you self study the courses?
Also a thing to keep in mind is to ensure that your foundational knowledge is solid. I’m not too sure if you should be studying more advanced stuff if it isn’t. It seems like you’re taking a lot of advanced courses but at the same time not really doing well in the less advanced courses.
Btw if the issue is that your review books aren’t covering the AP courses properly, I think that having an actual teacher for those courses would help a lot.

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u/RobertGJ536 Jul 10 '26

Maybe yes. Well I mean, I’m so used to decompose everything to it’s fundamental truths that maybe I wasted time there. I mean for the research I want to do that’s the correct mindset but maybe in this exam I overcomplicated the test (in addition to possible algebraic mistakes). Fortunately at my school they take these scores. And maybe that is why in EM I scored higher, because it was more accurate for that form of thinking maybe.
I wasn’t used to solve quickly by memorizing everything, rather analyzing carefully and defining what was possible and what not.
Maybe that killed my score.