You may think you know how to do a METAR, and when the weather is CAVU you probably could. But get into some IFR conditions with rapidly changing CIGs and VIS, throw in some indefinite ceilings, partial obscurations, and thunderstorms, and you'd be pretty much clueless. Besides, unless you're certified to take observations, whether or not you could do a METAR is irrelavant.
I'm pretty sure the CTI school you're in is CCBC and the class in question is Surface Weather Observer. Believe me you'd be doing yourself a huge disservice by not taking the class. It's a great course, and Jim Scott is an excellent teacher. He probably knows more about aviation surface wether reporting than most people in the NWS. I work at a center and still I'm greatful I took it. No, the FAA doesn't require you to have it but it's still a great asset. SAWRS certified observers can take manual observations, not just augment ASOS/AWOS broadcasts. And if you are required to take the LAWRS course in the FAA this will get you out of it. As for the site-specific issue, you just remain current at BVI by taking one observation every 60 days, then when you find out where you're going have the NWS field facility in Moon send your certificate to your new regional NWS station.
They even had a few grads a while back get contract weather observer jobs making $16/hour while they were waiting to get hired by the FAA.