I'm sorry you had a bad experience with LARPing. There are some dickheads, and some people who use "character" as a way to get away with shit - we physically removed a guy who would harass girls and claim it was in-character.

The game tended to involve a lot of flirting and a somewhat sexualised atmosphere, but he felt he was entitled to people's attention, and that's really not how it worked. (He'd say "But so-and-so does it!" Yes, but so-and-so is polite, and the lady in question was sat on his knee at the time. Totally different to pestering someone at the bar.)

Good luck with getting the money and going back to school - I think the world needs more people who are actually thinking about what they're doing and why they're doing something, and putting intent into the design beyond "It's shiny!".