tried searching for similar existing threads but the search bar looks pretty busted

-Can they work, or do they usually end up a fairly miserable, unsatisfying arrangement?
-Has anyone been in one/know of people that have been in ones that have lasted happily for upwards of, say, 6 months?
-How long a distance? With uni approaching, I'm looking at a potential leeds-bristol relationship and am feeling pretty pessimistic about its prospects.

My Dad always said his greatest regret about uni was not breaking up with his 6th form girlfriend, and from the looks of the "If you could go back and tell yourself one thing" thread, it looks like a lot of people had the same problem.