<p>Physics isn’t a branch of engineering. If anything, it’s t’other way 'round!</p>
<p>Since you are going to be a mech major, I’d start by going to your college’s mech department website and looking for a link marked “research.” Then look through the different research groups–it’s okay if it all seems way above your head and you don’t know squat–find something that seems most interesting to you, and email one of the professors who heads that group. Introduce yourself and give any qualifications you have (LabVIEW, programming, Matlab, grades, electronics, machining, anything) and ask if he (…or she…) has an opening for you. Ask as many professors as you find interesting. If there is nothing in mech research that tickles your pickle, look in other areas of engineering or science or anything really. Though STEM tends to stick with STEM.</p>