-ite or -ate?

So I got home from Washington and started my Chemistry class the very next day (which was actually the 3rd day of class) and over the past two weeks I've learned that Chemistry suck. I mean, what's the point? The stuff that I've been learning so far probably matters in the grand scheme of things about as much as the reason the sky is blue when baking a cake but if I don't learn it I will probably fail my first test which is next Wednesday. Pretty much this test coming up will deal with naming chemicals and compounds. WHO CARES!?! I mean, it's stupid to know if SO3 is sulfate or sulfite and when you make it an acid does it become sulfuric or sulfurous? As a doctor will I really need to know that? How many times have you seen a doctor being troubled about whether they got the right suffix on something? And then sometimes when there's an "extra atom" it's per- and sometimes it's di- or tri- or nothing at all. OMG!!! This class is driving me insane and I've only been doing it for two weeks. I've decided that chemists really have nothing better to do with their time than come up with fancy ways to name things that only matter to them. After all, my instructor told us that a few years back (could be a few dozen now...who knows...and does it really matter?) some chemists decided to revamp the Periodic Table of the Elements to make every element's atomic weight be in relation to carbon rather than hydrogen. Chemists need to get a life.

Well, I've officially decided that work sucks. For some reason the people that I work with would rather work 12-hour shifts than 8-hour shifts. The reason, twice a month you get a 3-day weekend. WOW...someone pinch me! Funny thing is, the other two weekends in the month you work them. So I fail to see how this is a perk. But because we live in a democratic nation, and since 8 yeses to 5 nos is decisive enough to make the change, starting next month (ie Monday) I get to work 12 hours a day. Not too sure how this is gonna work out with me going to school Monday through Thursday for 3-hours a day. Guess I'll just have to nap at work.