This is something a few graduate students mentioned to me when I was considering taking time off after undergrad, but it was difficult for me to understand this at that time. How could potentially forgetting everything I learned make me a better student?

The truth is, taking time away from academia and working in industry or any other part of the work force has many benefits.

Develop financial skills: determine a monthly budgeting plan, set up retirement investment accounts, file taxes, etc
Initiate social relationships: making friends as an adult outside of an academic community requires choice and initiative
Health, dental and mental health management: find and schedule appointments, explore mental health treatment options (mindfulness, medication, behavioral therapy, yoga, etc), have your wisdom teeth removed or any other procedure you didn’t have time for in college
Position yourself in a community: find local activist groups with causes that you care about and want to be involved in, connect with groups of people who have a hobby you want to further explore, become a mentor or coach
Effectively navigating a regular work schedule: wake up and go to bed at the same time, get used to being productive for 8 hours straight with no naps (unlike undergrad where you spread out productivity throughout the day and night), develop a work-life balance you are comfortable with

Basically, having developed the ability to take care of yourself and be an active functioning participant in society will absolutely make you a better graduate student. Because graduate school as a Ph.D. student is really more like a job than simply a continuation of a undergrad. So if you come into grad school ready to take on a regular work schedule, you should be much better off than if you approach it like a hectic overly stressed undergrad student.

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