comments:
I think studying classical mechanics and calculus together is the best way to go if you don't already have calculus under your belt. All of the equations you have to memorize for basic mechanics don't really make intuitive sense; it's just an exercise in memorization. If you're studying basic mechanics to enjoy it, there is no reason to make it about memorization. Calculus was invented for physics. It is the language of classical mechanics. The relationships between the concepts are elegant when understood with it, and are clunky and opaque without it. OP - I highly recommend volume one of Shawn Carol's - The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion https://www.amazon.com/Biggest-Ideas-Universe-Space-Motion/dp/0593186583 . It's a non-academic physics book that still walks you through the math. You can supplement it with Kahn Academy math classes for things you don't understand or tangentially interest you. Basic college-level integral calculus is a lot for many people, but the application to actual physics is a lot narrow then the mathematical field broadly. You can dip your toe into the basic concepts and, through actual use cases, rather than learning everything about the subject.