I was raised, I did zero research beyond meeting preparation. I used to underline my bookstudy preparation as fast as I could so I could go play. My family encouraging me to get baptized, finally I memorized the questions in the book, passed them, and got baptized when I was a teenager because it felt like the right thing to do.
Recently, after deciding to "make the truth my own" and verify JW teachings from the scriptures, I realized that getting baptized before researching the JW history and our doctrines wasn't the best decision I've ever made.