Prepositions В/На often go together with the prepositional cases in the Russian language. And they are usually the first topic in Russian grammar that seems easy enough to figure out without extra help because they are the same as in English: "В" means "IN". The coffee is IN the cup - кофе в чашке. "На" means "ON". The cup is ON the table - чашка на столе. So this brings us to the simplest use of  "В" and "На":

"В" meaning inside 

в до́ме, в самолёте, в кварти́ре, в столе

or "В" with institutions and establishments

Think of them as buildings, and you being inside of a building - it is very easy:

в институ́те, в университе́те, в рестора́не, в кафе́, в шко́ле, в о́фисе, в кинотеа́тре, в магази́не, в оте́ле, в клу́бе, в музе́е

"НА" meaning ON with surfaces and floors

на этаже́, на земле́, на у́лице, на проспе́кте, на столе́, на пля́же

But of course, as a lot of things in Russian grammar, what seems so easy in the beginning has some hidden tricks. Because on the other hand, ...