Relationship Advice (Travelling - long distance)

Hi
Just wanted some advice from a third party
My boyfriend and I have been together for 3 years
I started university this October and he's not going to university but plans to join the RAF in 2018.
He also plans to go travelling for a year and 2 months around the world like South Africa, India, New Zealand etc. Since I'll be in uni I can't really meet up with him until the summer which I plan to for a few weeks.
He will be going away New Year's Day, and basically just wanted some advice on how to cope with long distance especially when he may not have Internet for long periods of time. My uni is 3 hours away from home and so he visits me every 2/3 weeks until he goes on his gap year.
My course has a year abroad as well in the third year so we will be away from each other for a little bit over 2 years overall. I'm planning to go either USA or Canada which makes it harder and expensive for him to visit.

I really want to make it work but right now we both have worries about this potential 2 year apart. We will have a year together when he comes back from his travels and before I go on my year abroad, however he does not know where he will be stationed for the RAF so we may not be with each other for that year but can visit often.