It’s always amusing how the American English rules are so inscrutable. Your kids would never say “I’m going to THE school now.” Nope, it’s “I’m going to school.”
But you say “I’m going to THE university.”
Nobody ever said learning English was easy.
When in Portland, OR, always refer to I-84 as “The Banfield” if you want to blend in with the locals for some reason. And learn how to pronounce ‘Willamette’ and ‘Tualatin’ ahead of time.