Noriに vs で: destination or the place you do it
に vs で collapses in English. We say "at school" for going there and for studying there. Japanese splits the job.
がっこうに いきます. School is the destination. つくえの うえに ほんが あります. The book exists on the desk — location of being, still に. としょかんで べんきょうします. The library is where the studying happens. Action place = で.
If the verb is "go / come / exist / be," start with に. If you're doing something at a place — study, eat, work — start with で.
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You don't need every exception this week. You need one sentence of each. Go somewhere. Do something somewhere. Say both out loud.
The mix-up happens when you translate "at" first. Translate the job of the particle instead: destination, or workplace of the verb.
に marks destination or existence (がっこうに いきます, つくえの うえに あります). で marks where you do something (としょかんで べんきょうします). Same English 'at/in/to' — different Japanese jobs.
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