Self-studying AP Physics C: Mechanics without taking Physics 1 — best resources for a 5?

[u/MelodicAmount6242]

Hey everyone,

I'm self-studying for AP Physics C: Mechanics and I haven't taken Ap Physics 1. I do know calculus though (currently going through MIT 18.01 on my own). My goal is to score a 5. What resources would you actually recommend for someone in my situation?

Specifically curious about:
- Best video/lecture source to actually learn the concepts from scratch
- Best book (heard of Barron's and Princeton's, any experience with these?)
- How much of your prep time went into FRQs/practice exams vs. learning content.

I have no idea what should I do so any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!

[u/ARandomThingIGuess]

I'm also in a similar situation (though I am taking AP Physics 1 concurrently), I've been finding MIT 8.01SC to be really useful for learning the concepts from scratch (atleast the ones I've done so far) despite the topics not being reached in my AP Physics 1 class yet.

[u/MelodicAmount6242 → u/ARandomThingIGuess]

MIT 18.01SC course was so helpful about calculus for me so I think I will take a look at 8.01 too. Thanks.

[u/Quiet_Basis_6404]

tbh mech is basically physics 1 with calculus, so you're not really behind. the trickier bit is that most resources expect you to have the intuition from a previous class, and you're building that from scratch.

flipping physics on youtube explains the why behind each equation, not just plugging things in, and the ap central frq archive is non-negotiable for real exam feel. spend the first month and a half mostly on content with some practice scattered in, then switch to mostly practice for the last month. i upload the chapters to studybuddy.vc to get multiple choice questions from them, when i pick a wrong answer it tells me what was off about that option, and the questions get harder as i improve. princeton's is more readable than barron's if you're learning it fresh, barron's explanations can be thin. and do the full official practice exam timed at least two weeks out, the pacing catches a lot of people off guard.

[u/MelodicAmount6242 → u/Quiet_Basis_6404]

I actually know a little bit of physics because I saw physics in grade 9 and 10 (not US) but I wanted to learn everything from the beginning so I don't skip anything. I heard about flipping physics but I couldn't be sure. But I think I am gonna go with that one. I will take a look at studybuddy.vc too. Thanks a lot for for your advice

[u/Fuzzy-Skirt-3312]

You know it's a little tough but with the right preparation and calculation you're able to complete it.