Relationship advice - breaking up before uni and expecting to just move on?

I’m going to try and summarise this as quickly as possible. I am about to go into my second year of university and I met my boyfriend in January on hinge. He was on a gap year and I set my location to london (not the city i study in) just because i liked to use the app for fun seeing who liked my profile etc etc not for anything actually serious. But one thing led to the next and i started chatting to my now boyfriend on there because we realised we have loads in common. Next thing I know I was going to London to see him, he we coming to my uni city and the rest is history - we were dating by March.

Unfortunately in May i think it was, he was rejected from my uni. Which was a shame because it was his top choice even before he met me. So instead he’s going to a uni an hour away from mine. We always kinda knew that when he went to uni, we would probably break up. Not because he wants to go and have the ‘proper uni experience’ (ie shagging a bunch of girls) or anything like that but rather the fact that even though we love each other and have such an amazing time when we together, long distance is just too hard. I forgot to mention I actually live in another country and only study in the UK so by long distance I don’t just mean long distance while at uni - I mean long distance all. the. time. It is really hard. This summer has been so hard. He’s been over to visit me and i’ve been to see him and we are actually going travelling together at the end of this week lol (maybe not the best idea based on what i’m about to say). But bottom line of it is, we are both young, we have had a wonderful time together and still have very strong feelings for each other, but it really is at the point where the relationship brings us more sadness than it does happiness to our lives. Ending it before he starts uni and i go into my second year just seems like the natural breakup point.

But this is my issue. I just do not know how I am supposed to get over him when I still have such strong feelings for him. I know I will eventually with time, this is more a rant post than anything, but I am so so so so upset every single day. We are going on holiday at the end of the week (1 - too late to cancel and 2 - we still will have a really good time together) but that is just going to make it harder to leave him. I find myself obsessively watching tiktoks about his uni and reading the tab posts and dumb **** like that because I want to know what it’s going to be like for him there - whether he’ll find a lot of friends, what the girls are like, etc. I literally know that is ridiculous and don’t know why I’m doing it - like beyond it being pointless because nothing is going to stop him from going to that uni - uni is uni at the end of the day like they’re all pretty much the same especially our two 💀💀.

Anyway, I guess I am just looking for advice on how people eventually managed to get over their exes they ended on good terms with. Like no word of a lie, the thought of him getting with another girl, flirting with her at a flat party… making out in a club… sleeping together… like it actually makes me physically sick to my stomach. Sick to my STOMACH. even though i know i can just as easily get with other guys. We also had an argument the other day about what to do when we see each other for the last time - which we have organised is gonna be the 16th of sept as it’s the only day we are both in the country before he starts uni. I want to go completely non-contact, as I know even just a few texts here and there will make it absolutely impossible for me to move on from him and just make me so so so upset as I drive myself insane wondering what he’s doing. He on the other hand wants to still occasionally text me until we naturally ‘fizzle out’ and stop texting because he sees me as not only his girlfriend but his best friend. I’ve told him that is ridiculous and selfish and will only make things that much harder but he doesn’t seem to understand why.

There is also the added element that he was my first boyfriend and i his first girlfriend and i have never ever ever had a connection the way i do with him with ANYONE. i have had several fwbs in the past and at uni - a few talking stages as well but no one. and i mean NO ONE has ever made me feel the way he does. But at the same time, no one has ever upset me the way he does. He is not a good boyfriend at all at times and leaves me feeling like he doesn’t care about me over text and doesn’t ask me if i’m feeling better after he knows i’ve been sick, stuff like that. That’s another reason why I know we need to break up - at the end of the day although i love him i know he has a lot of growing up to do but i guess a part of me hoped he would just do that as we were together. I know us breaking up is for the best. For many reasons. But i still love this man and am his best friend. How on earth am I ever meant to feel ok again?

He on the other hand wants to still occasionally text me until we naturally ‘fizzle out’ and stop texting because he sees me as not only his girlfriend but his best friend. I’ve told him that is ridiculous and selfish and will only make things that much harder but he doesn’t seem to understand why.

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He is not a good boyfriend at all at times and leaves me feeling like he doesn’t care about me over text and doesn’t ask me if i’m feeling better after he knows i’ve been sick