jg,
As others have said, much of what one has to learn seems meaningless. I remember when doing my flight navigators course having to learn about soft iron rods and how to swing a compass. But you never know when this knowledge might be useful - many years later I had to swing a compass on a boat in the Med. But I digress!
Meteorology is all about knowing the element in which you will spend your working life. The more you learn about it the safer you will be. There are many things in the atmosphere which can be a hazard to the unwary, not just cloud bases, visibility, wind, icing, turbulence, etc. The more you know the more likely you will be able to cope.
And you never know - you may come to love meteorology. I did.